Power Rangers: Reborn
by Jardix
Summary: A new story about an old team. The teenagers Zach, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, and Jason are teleported to the Command Center and are reborn as Power Rangers. With these new powers, Rita and her invading army finally have a challenge ahead of them.
1. Power Trip

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

Mars. The name was chosen for the Roman god of war, after the blood like appearance of the cold little world. It sat alone on the edge of the inner solar system, with a band of asteroids on one side and the bustling planet of Earth on the other. It had taken the international spaceship two months to reach the tiny world, and now several nerve wracking hours to descend to the surface.

Jake Matthews and Anton Bunin finally set foot on the red, dusty world after a ten minute descent in the small capsule.

"Command module, we have reached the surface. I repeat, we have reached the surface!" Matthews exclaimed into the radio, grinning inside of his space suit at the untouched world beyond.

"I found it!" Anton had been the first out of the capsule, and had disappeared over a ridge before Jake had even taken in the scenery. Telemetry from the Mars Rover Curiosity had been the reason for the sudden undertaking, and the overzealous Russian was desperate to see it for himself.

Half running, half jumping, the American astronaut finally made it to the site where the Curiosity had reported it's strange finding. Anton was standing above it, looking down at the stone ring below.

"It is incredible…" He whispered softly, stroking the red orb in the center.

"Maybe we shouldn't…" Jake never got the chance to finished. The orb suddenly lit up, the stone ring spun with Anton still on top of it, and the massive monolith began to rise.

"Finally… After ten thousand years…" The hoarse, gravelly voice barely reached the astronauts ears through the think helmets. But the sight of what crawled out of the stone container was unmistakable.

"Oh my… someone help!"

* * *

Angel Grove wasn't a large city. It was no metropolis with cars buzzing through it like blood through an artery. There was no thrilling night life that kept the police busy and the bars full. But it was still a city. There were people and businesses, houses and apartments. The streets were wide, and the alleys were dark.

It was the last aspect of the city that Jason hated most. He wasn't a small, wimpy kid that was scared of his own shadow or slept with a nightlight on. He was tall, athletic, and some said intimidating. So it wasn't fear that made him despise the back alleys of Angel Grove; it was disgust.

Trash littered the ground, a foul smell rose from a nearby dumpster, and you could hear a couple arguing loudly a few apartments above him. The concrete was cracked and it was dark as all get out. The only thing that didn't make Jason sick was the kid on the other end of the long alley, leaning against the chain link fence.

"Jason! Man am I glad to see you…" Zack looked ready collapse as he recognized his old friend.

"I can imagine. What's going on? You sounded like you were going to have a heart attack over the phone!" Jason stood across from the other sixteen year old, crossing his arms as he spoke.

Zack looked like he was at the end of his rope. His black hooded sweatshirt was dirty and ripped, and his jeans were covered in dirt and mud. His eyes told Jason that he was horrified, but his usual grin was still in place.

"Man, this is bad. I told that guy Raven it wasn't going to happen, but he won't stop! He was at my _house_ earlier!" Zack gushed, getting more and more worked up as he spoke. Jason stopped with a hand, trying not to laugh.

"Wait, Raven is a guy?"

"What? Yeah Raven's a dude! And you don't want to make fun of his name either! His six huge friends don't like it when you do that!" Zack explained, nervously glancing around the alley as if the thugs in question might appear any second.

"Okay, slow down. What's the problem right now?"

Zack took a deep breath and grabbed Jason's shoulders dramatically. "Raven and his boys are going to kill me. I dented his car with my board, and he is out hunting for me _right_ _now!_ "

Jason sighed and nodded, finally realizing what had happened. "You crashed into his car trying to pull off that move again, didn't you?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you! And now he's…"

Zack stopped mid sentence as an engine died at the mouth of the alley, and four car doors shut.

" _That's him!_ " Zack's voice got high and shrill as he jerked Jason behind a dumpster.

"Come on, there's only like four of them…" Jason said calmly, looking around the dumpster cautiously.

"Try seven! We are going to die, right here in this alley!"

But before the seven high school students made it down the alley, both Jason and Zack were gone in a flash of red and black.

* * *

Kimberly had never considered herself popular. She didn't think she fit the high school cheerleader motif. Sure she got good grades, hung out at the mall and dressed almost entirely in pink, but she didn't see it. She had friends. Most people had friends, right? And she wasn't in cheer, she was in gymnastics. She was actually getting really good with the high jumps and flips required to be a gymnast; her coach had suggested she think about the Olympics.

But gym was the last thing on her mind lately. She sat in front of her bedroom mirror, listening to music with headphones roaring. She was trying, and failing, to drown out the noise from the next room over. She stared at the face in the mirror, pretending to be trying on makeup, and listened to the sound of Keith Urban's latest album. She wasn't fond of the music per se, but it was the loudest track on her MP3 player.

In the next room, her parents were going at it again. Screams, shouts, and even the sound of furniture being jerked around echoed through the huge house. Kimberly didn't see herself as popular; but she was. She thought her family was normal, but it wasn't.

She was so focused on the song and the face in the mirror that she barely noticed as the pink glow engulfed her.

* * *

Trini hated the noise and bustle of the city. She much preferred nature; it was more… pure. That was the word she used to describe it. There were no emotions, no distractions, no complications. The desert night around her was calm and orderly.

She laid out her mat and carefully straightened the edges, taking deep breaths as she did. Kung Fu was almost old hat now; any Panda or cheap action star could supposedly master the art. But Trini had learned her particular brand of the martial arts from her mother, who had learned from her mother. They weren't Chinese, they were Korean, but the calming gestures and moves of the ancient style of fighting still made her feel at peace.

Her backyard opened up into the Californian desert, while her modest home stood watch behind her, keeping the city lights at bay. Her mother and father sat inside, reading the news and doing their own chores as their daughter practiced outside. They didn't notice the brilliant yellow flash that scooped their daughter up and away.

* * *

Billy too was alone, but not entirely. The computer genius and hacker was technically talking to over a dozen people, though not face to face.

"Alright, tanks know your rotation and don't pop cd's until phase two. Healers, I want those dps alive and well until phase three, and don't pop your cd's unless a tank goes down. Dps, this is it. If you get blown up by the boss' aoe's, it's on you. Get ready to pull." Billy ordered, typing as fast as he could. The teen wasn't overly muscular or athletic, and his long brown hair and glasses were not 'in style', though he barely cared what style was. He was a guild master on a top server on his favorite online game; he didn't care what girls thought.

Or at least he hadn't, until a year ago. That was when Trini had joined his math class, and suddenly he realized that his choice of hobbies had ruined him. She'd be falling over loud and obnoxious guys like Zack any day now; or maybe even jerks like Jason. But him? He didn't have a shot. So he clicked, typed, and ruined his already poor eyesight at eleven o'clock at night with his sparsely decorated room lit up by the giant monitor.

He'd just ordered his army forward into the waiting arms of their enemy when a faint blue light shimmered around him, sweeping him far away into the night.

* * *

Five flashes of light appeared in a darkened chamber. Black, pink, blue, yellow and finally red all illuminated the darkness, and the five teens fell to the ground in shock.

Murmurs and then shouting filled the space as each of them panicked at the sudden transportation. They couldn't see anything around them until one light, and then another slowly brightened the space.

The five were sprawled out in a large ring of what looked like computers, with crystal like displays and strange interfaces lining the top. A raised pedestal sat behind them, with an opaque globe several feet in diameter resting on the top. On the other end of the room, a tall glass tube sat with a bright white light emanating from it.

A face appeared on the tube, it's eyes staring hard at the five teenagers in front of it. He looked male, completely bald and featureless, but somehow wise at the same time. When he spoke, the room was filled with his booming voice.

"Hello."

It was such a simple greeting that most of them didn't comprehend it. Jason alone rose to his feet and stared the man in the eye.

"Who are you? How did we get here? Where is this place?" Question after question came out as Jason's mind reeled. He managed to look brave, however, and each the four behind him slowly gathered themselves too.

"I am Zordon, keeper of this place." His voice was deep and almost fatherly, though where it came from no one knew.

"And I am Alpha-5." A much more mechanical voice came from the dark corner of the room, and a small figure slowly approached. He didn't look human; his 'head' was the size of a dinner plate, with a red light on the 'face' pulsing like a heartbeat, and metal plates covering his body. Jason and Zack stood between it and the two girls protectively, while Billy stared in wonder.

"Is that a robot?"

"I am an autonomous artificial life form designed to monitor and maintain this facility. You may call me Alpha-5." He said quickly, not moving a 'muscle' as he spoke. He stared at each of them in turn, taking in the sight of the five teens.

"Why are we here? Why did you kidnap us?" Jason demanded, whirling around to speak to the gray face again.

"You are not prisoners. You will be free to leave as soon as you have heard my offer." Zordon said calmly, staring unblinkingly at Jason.

"Your offer? Is this some kind of a joke?" Jason asked. The rest of the group was silent; none had the nerve to do anything but stare and listen.

"Ten thousand years ago, the inhabitants of this world formed a mighty empire. They colonized the galaxy, spreading their reach far and wide. That empire fell into chaos when a new source of power was discovered. You call it 'magic'." Zordon explained. They all listened in rapt amazement as he went on.

"One of the greatest of those that discovered this new power, a woman named Rita, set out to destroy the galactic empire, with the help of many other twisted individuals. A great war was fought, and in the end, almost all traces of the empire were erased on this world. Rita was imprisoned using her own power, banished to one of the planet's in this solar system. I was one of the warriors that managed to imprison her so many centuries ago." Zordon's voice grew heavy, as if the memory was painful. Alpha said nothing.

"But the price of this victory was heavy. My body was broken and beaten, and now I am trapped forever in this stasis pod. It was my charge to watch over Rita's prison, if ever she escaped. I regret to inform you, she has."

Zack worked up the nerve to speak and questioned the man loudly. "And how the heck does that translate to you kidnapping us? What's wrong with you? Normal people don't do that!"

Zordon ignored him and kept going. "Eons ago, when the great war was fought, heroes rose up to fight the armies of our enemy. They were given suits of armor that protected and empowered them, allowing them to stand toe to toe with the greatest of Rita's monstrosities. These suits remain in this place to this day. They were left so that if Rita ever threatened this world again, new heroes would be able to rise and defend Earth again. We have chosen you five to continue their great legacy."

Jason shook his head unbelievingly. Zack nodded sarcastically and started to pace. Trini and Kimberly stood shoulder to shoulder, their expressions frozen in horror. Billy still leaned against one of the consoles, staring at Alpha curiously.

"You want us to become soldiers in a war that we've never heard of against people we don't know. Is that about it?" Jason demanded.

"Yes. We do." Zordon said simply.

"Let us go. Show us the door and we're leaving, now." Jason said firmly. He looked around at the massive room, trying to find an exit as he spoke.

"If you do not wish to become one of Earth's champions, that is your decision. But first, witness the power of Rita and her armies. Alpha, activate the viewing globe!" Zordon ordered. The small robot ran forward and typed away on a control console, and the orb behind them lit up.

Billy was the first to approach it, studying it carefully as the image took shape. Trini and Kimberly joined him, while Zack and Jason stood behind the trio and watched Alpha out of the corner of their eyes.

"That's San Francisco…" Billy said quietly.

"And that is an asteroid from the ring in this solar system." Alpha explained, pointing at the top of the globe. The five teens watched as the fiery point of light quickly shot across the screen and slammed into the waters of the bay. A massive shockwave ripped into the bay. In seconds, the Golden Gate Bridge was gone, as was the surrounding city.

Kimberly covered her mouth with her hands, horrified at the sight.

"This is real? It's actually happening?" Billy demanded, his eyes glued to the surface of the orb.

"It is." Zordon said gravely. All five teens watched as the San Francisco bay area was washed away; it looked like something out of a movie. Buildings crumbled and floated away in the waves, cars and trucks were swept up like ants; but they couldn't see the people. Jason, at least, counted that as a blessing.

"There were millions of people in that city." Trini whispered, speaking for the first time.

"No. This is a joke. This isn't happening. This is a dream, or a nightmare, or something…" Kimberly put her hands over her ears and looked away, her face turning white.

"I understand that is a great burden to be handed. I, too, was not eager to become a soldier in this war." Zordon admitted, looking soberly at Kimberly. "But I ask it nonetheless."

"Where's the door? I want to see the exit, now." Jason snapped. He eyed Alpha and Zordon dangerously, looking ready to fight his way out if necessary. Kimberly and Billy both nodded in agreement.

"Very well. Alpha, transport them back to their homes." Zordon ordered. They all turned to the black and gold plated 'man', who punched in another command without hesitation.

Before anyone could move or react, five flashes of light engulfed the teens, and everything faded to black.

Trini appeared on her woven mat, still shocked and scared.

Kimberly was back in her room, though now the sounds of her parents arguing had faded.

Billy was back at this desk, with the rest of his gamer friends screaming and shouting at him for ruining the encounter.

Jason and Zack were back in the alley, looking confused at the sudden change of scenery. The gang of thugs Zack had ticked off had wandered away, leaving the two teens alone in the dark alley.

"Jason? Please tell me you saw it too…"


	2. May the Power Protect You

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

Trini's first thought was that she needed to tell her parents. She was only sixteen; her parents ought to know if their daughter had been kidnapped and almost recruited into some…

She tried to think of what to call the group Zordon had described. Army? Organization? Cult? None of it made sense to her. How had she been plucked away from her home in the first place? Transporters were only in Star Trek, right?

She ended up lying out flat on her back in her room, staring at the ceiling for hours. It all tumbled around in her mind like a wave on the beach. She would have thought she'd hallucinated the entire thing if not for the news story her parents were playing in the living room.

A horrible natural disaster had obliterated the Frisco Bay overnight. It was all still playing out; survivors on the edge of the city were pouring out into the surrounding area; it looked like something out of a movie. That's what kept going through her head; this kind of thing happened in books or TV shows, not to her.

And then there were the other four people she'd seen there. Jason Scott, Zack Taylor, Billy Cranston, and Kimberly Hart were all there too. Had they seen the same thing she had? Had they really been there too?

She suddenly leapt for the phone on her table, dialing Kimberly's number as fast as she could. Kimberly wasn't exactly a friend, but then again, none of them were. Trini didn't have any friends, and she was more than okay with that. But thankfully, everyone knew Kimberly's number.

The phone rang on Kimberly's end three times before it picked up, and a nervous 'hello' came through.

"Kimberly? Is that you?" Trini asked, not recognizing her voice. The phone distorted the sound to a point, but the fear was really masked her normally high pitched and confident voice.

"Yeah. Who is this?"

"It's Trini; did you just…? I mean, earlier, were you…?"

"Yes, yes I was." Kimberly said, sniffing loudly. She'd been crying.

"We should talk. Face to face." Trini said firmly.

"Um, it's like midnight, how about tomorrow? At that really weird juice bar on the edge of town? It's always deserted." Kimberly suggested. Trini almost smiled; if anyone knew where not to be seen in Angel Grove, Kimberly did.

"Agreed. Eight A.M., or so?" Trini asked hesitantly. She had no idea how early Kimberly was usually up, but after the night they'd had, she doubted if anyone would be sleeping.

"Yeah. I'll call the other guys; they should be there too."

"You have their phone numbers?" Trini was surprised, but she shouldn't have been.

"Yeah; I know Jason's and he knows Zack. And Billy lives like a block away from me. We'll all be there."

Trini and Kimberly both hung up at the same time, and Trini went back to lying motionless on her bed. Her parents eventually turned off the TV, but it didn't matter to her either way. She wasn't going to be sleeping any time soon.

* * *

The next morning rolled around faster than Trini thought it would. She quickly showered, dressed, and made it into the kitchen at seven sharp. She thought about breakfast, but was too stressed to eat anything. She downed a glass of water and headed for the door, still rattled over the ordeal.

She had a driver's license, but hated driving in early morning traffic. She preferred to ride, and her bike had seen a lot of adventures over the years. She pedaled hard and fast down the narrow streets, ducking and dodging the oddly normal traffic. She'd seen four other teens kidnapped and spoken to an… alien? Or whatever Zordon was, and then seen San Francisco wiped off the map. She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but normal just didn't feel right.

The juice bar was an old youth center on the outside of the city; it had never been popular, and was on it's way out now. The business' owner was an older, very heavy set man who spoke to customers rarely, and cleaned the place even more rarely. No one who knew anything would be seen there, so it was perfect for their purposes.

Trini parked her bike in the ancient bike rack, not bothering to chain it up. She could see the rack from the giant windows on the front of the building, and she'd love the excuse to vent her frustrations on anyone stupid enough to try and steal it.

It was still only seven ten; she had another fifty minutes until Kimberly said she'd be there. And yet, as she walked through the glass doors, she spotted the bar's only other customers.

Jason and Zack were seated nervously in the corner, with Kimberly pacing in front of them and Billy sitting at another table, fidgeting with the frayed edge of his sweatshirt.

"There you are!" Kimberly said suddenly, startling them all. Trini walked over to the group slowly, not sure of what to say. Kimberly wrapped her in a huge hug, which she awkwardly returned, and the two sat down. There were four chairs at Jason's table; Kimberly and Trini took the other two, while Billy stayed where he was at the table nearby. He shot a quick glance up at Trini, but refused to make eye contact with anyone else.

"So… now what?" Kimberly asked with a nervous laugh. Zack looked like he was asleep on his feet, Jason was studying his folded hands, and Trini's expression was unreadable.

"I was reading the news all night." Billy said quietly. Jason looked to his right and squinted at him.

"What did you say, kid?"

Jason's tone of voice was a little condescending, which was understandable, but Billy looked like he'd been slapped. He stood up and put his palms on the table, getting almost nose to nose with Jason.

"I'm as old as you are; stop calling me a 'kid'. I said I've been reading the news all night. Attacks have bee reported in major cities all around the globe. London. Moscow. D.C. Sydney. All of the reports say that strange, inhuman soldiers appear out of no where, slaughter civilians and engage the local law enforcement before disappearing again. They come and go so fast that not a lot of people have heard about it yet." Billy said firmly. He hesitated and stuttered a few times, but no one dared interrupt him.

"How do we know that those attacks have anything to do with this Zordon dude?" Jason asked sincerely. Billy shrugged and sat back down, his nerve gone.

"Well I doubt that North Korea suddenly developed the ability to teleport it's troops and declared world war three. What I want to know is how Rita managed to nudge an asteroid our way." Zack asked, coming to Billy's defense.

"I think we're dealing with things way more advanced that high school students should be dealing with. I say we go to the police and tell them about Zordon and Rita and call it a day." Kimberly suggested, her tone making it clear that it wasn't up for debate. She looked at each member of the group in turn, waiting for someone to argue. Oddly enough, it was Trini that met her gaze.

"I think that this Zordon had a reason for choosing us. If he wanted the police or the military involved, he would have called them."

'That's some pretty sound logic there, gorgeous." Zack commented. "Right up until you realize that he 'called' sixteen year olds. I should be worried about passing my Driver's Ed class; not fighting alien witches. I mean come on! Say that out loud with me! Alien, witches." Zack said with a patronizing look. He held up his hands and let them drop to his sides.

"It doesn't matter either way." Billy said softly. He faced each one of them in turn, looking timid the whole time. "We don't know much more than he told us. And we haven't gotten anything yet. We're still just teenagers that were offered something. When Jason demanded that Zordon return us, he did. I think we should give him credit for that."

"Give who credit? Jason, for wanting to go home, or the floating white head for actually letting us go?" Kimberly asked sincerely.

"Both." Billy made it sound like the answer was obvious. "We can argue in circles all day long. The facts are, we were taken somewhere… else. We saw something, together, that turned out to be real. We haven't been given anything or asked to do anything. All Zordon said was he wanted us to consider his offer."

"His offer to what? Save the world?" Jason shook his head condescendingly and put his hands on the top of the table.

"I've got a family. I've got a home. I've got grades and schoolwork and college to think about. I don't need to worry about some impending alien invasion, too." Jason stood up, as if he were going to leave. Zack joined him, and then Kimberly.

"Come on Trini, do you really think this is a good plan?" Kimberly put a hand on Trini's shoulder, which the other girl promptly brushed aside.

"I haven't heard a plan yet. Only arguments and doubts."

"Guys, look at this!" Billy suddenly said, standing up and turning his smart phone around. There was a video being played, and the sounds of screams could already be heard.

"What is this?" Jason demanded as he watched a car being thrown into a building. Tall, gangly gray men were at the center of chaos, chasing down people as they tried to flee.

"This is a local news station reporting on the fighting on the northern border of Angel Grove. You think this is out of our hands? That it isn't our problem?" Billy asked as the video went on, showing more and more people being run down and killed by the gray men. Long spikes covered each creature's left hand, and they were using the weapons to impale men and women they managed to catch.

"Turn it off…" Kimberly turned away, pale and shaky. She looked ready to throw up and leaned on a table for support. The entire time they'd been in the juice bar, cars had been steadily rushing past them on the road, headed anywhere but Angel Grove. Thankfully, most of their parents were still asleep or hadn't heard the news yet.

"In a few hours, those things will literally be in our back yards. It _is_ our problem. San Francisco seems to be spawning the things, and that city is only a half hour drive from here. We're ten minutes away from an alien invasion." Billy said mercilessly. He finally killed the video on his phone and tucked it into his pocket.

"I, for one, want to fight."

It was as if Zordon had heard the teen's conversation. As soon as Billy had spoken, five flashes of bright light appeared, and they were back in the dark chamber again.

Alpha-5 apparently hadn't moved an inch; he was still in the same position he'd been in last night. Zordon's 'face' was still hovering on the surface of the tall tube, staring at the five in front of him.

"I have given you time to consider. You have seen the devastation Rita and her troops can unleash. What is your decision?" Zordon asked slowly.

Jason ran a hand down his face and shook his head, obviously stressed to the point of snapping. "Let's establish some ground rules. What exactly do you want us to do? Live in this place, follow your orders, and fight off an entire invasion force from another planet?"

"No. Your connections to this place and these people are what will drive you to defend it. I would not change that. This Command Center is merely a place to regroup, and to observe the enemy's movements." Zordon explained.

"Okay, so right now, there's an evil alien army marching on our city. You're going to give us guns, we're going to go shoot said evil aliens, and then we're done? We're off the hook?" Zack suggested hopefully.

"No. Being a defender of Earth, a Ranger, is a commitment. A dedication. You will not be short term soldiers, you will be the defenders of Earth for the ages to come." Zordon said gravely. Alpha finally chipped in to.

"And the Ranger suits are not 'guns'. Guns are quite useless and primitive compared to what Zordon and I have watched over for so long."

"Why us? Why choose five children to save an entire world?" Trini asked, finally addressing the elephant in the room. Zordon seemed confused.

"Five Rangers fought off Rita's army ten thousand years ago. Five suits are all that is left. Five seemed the obvious choice for recruits. And as for your age, I was no older when I first answered the call to arms."

"I think she meant us, specifically. There had to be other people you could have used." Kimberly pointed out.

"He didn't choose us, specifically." Billy said, answering for the man. "If we reject the offer, he'll choose again. And again and again until he finds five people willing to accept the offer. Right?"

Zordon smiled and nodded, his eyes reflecting his amusement. "You are correct, of course. You were not randomly selected; I have been watching you over the years. But Billy is correct. I _must_ have an answer. Earth _must_ be defended, or Rita will have won a war ten thousand years in the making." His voice was strained and pleading, as if he were getting desperate.

Trini nodded slowly, looking down at her sandals, before stepping boldly up to the front of the room. "People are dying. What do I have to do to protect them?"

Zordon smiled and looked at Alpha, who pressed a command on one of the huge consoles. A large pedestal rose from the floor in the middle of the group, with a round top and sleek metal sides. On the top was five slots, with five small colored orbs resting in inside. Red, blue, black, yellow and pink orbs, each about the size to fit in the palm of your hand.

"These are the control crystals for the microscopic robots that will enter your body. They will lie dormant until called upon in battle to protect their hosts. These orbs, these Power Coins, will be carried with you at all times to control the Ranger armor and weapons, as well as…"

"Perhaps we should wait before giving them this information, Zordon." Alpha said quickly, cutting him off. Zordon nodded and went on.

"To receive the power and strength of the Rangers, place your hand upon the orb and concentrate. The transformation will begin immediately." Zordon turned to Trini, who nervously stepped up to the pedestal.

She took a deep breath, looked at each of them in turn, and then thrust out her right hand. As her hand touched the yellow orb, she went rigid and her eyes shut tightly.

"Trini, you have been given the power of the Yellow Ranger. The sect of my people that created it chose an animal to embody their spirit and ideals. You call this animal, the Saber Tooth Tiger. Call upon this animal whenever you need the power of the Yellow Ranger."

Trini was practically thrown back as the transformation was completed, and she was left holding the yellow orb in her hand. It glowed with a light of it's own, and Trini stared at it in wonder.

"I want to do it too. My family lives here, and I want to be able to protect them." Billy said in his quiet, meek way. He stepped forward to the pedestal, placing his palm on the Blue Power Coin.

"Billy, you have been given the power of the Blue Ranger. The brave men and women that created this Coin chose to embody the Triceratops. Call upon it in time of need."

Billy jerked back the same way Trini did, still holding the blue orb as well. He clutched it tightly and looked up at Zordon gratefully.

"I don't want to see anyone hurt. If I can help, I will." Jason said reluctantly. He grabbed the Red Power Coin, and Zordon went on.

"Jason, you will become the Red Ranger. The Tyrannosaurus is your emblem. Speak it's name, and it will come."

Jason held the orb reverently, staring into the crystalline object intently.

Zack shrugged, grimaced, and looked to Jason. "Well fine, peer pressure me into it. That's cool man." But he was firm as he placed his hand on the Black Coin.

"Zachary, you will be the Black Ranger. The Mastodon is your animal guardian. It's name brings strength and protection, not only to you, but to others as well."

As each of the four held their Power Coins in hand, they all turned to Kimberly. She alone had been silent so far, and she was the one hesitating now.

"I… I don't know about this. I…" She turned to Jason, who nodded slowly and put a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll do this together. Don't worry."

She swallowed hard and nodded, finally working up the courage to grab the last Coin.

"Kimberly, the Pink Ranger. You will use the power of the Pterodactyl to soar above the battlefield and bring victory to your team. Use it's power well."

All five of them stood together, holding their new Power Coins and looking questioningly up at Zordon.

"So what now? We all put our hands together and yell 'woo hoo'?" Zack asked.

He was answered by Alpha tapping a button behind them, and transporting them back to Angel Grove.

"Go Rangers. And may the Power protect you."


	3. Rangers At the Core

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

The terror of the people fleeing was practically tangible. The dead were lying scattered around on the streets, in cars, and in the buildings trapping them on either side. Huge gray men skittered along, their movement almost spider-like, as they hunted their prey.

Cars were burning, ash filled the air, and screams were constant. The intruders had made it halfway down the road leading to Angel grove when they stopped suddenly. Five lights appeared in front of them, and soon after five strangers stood facing them.

Jason was in the middle, with Zack and Billy on either side of him. Trini and Kimberly were on the ends, and all were facing the oncoming horde.

"Okay… what do we do now?" Kimberly asked timidly, staring at the horrifying monsters advancing on them. Jason glared out at them and held up his fists in a fighting stance.

"Keep them away from the civilians. Try to hold them back until we can clear the area of any survivors."

No one knew who had elected Jason as the leader of the group, but no one had any better ideas, either.

"Hey, you!" Jason shouted, pointing at the lead alien. He stopped short and cocked his head comically.

"This city is under our protection. Leave, now, or we will take you down." Jason said bravely. In response, the gray man balled his fist and acted like he was throwing something.

A huge explosion rocked the road behind them, and dust filled the air. They all covered their heads and ducked, shocked that the creature had missed.

"I don't think that's going to work…" Kimberly said needlessly.

"Maybe this will." Trini ran forward suddenly, heading right for the alien that had shot at them, her fists high as she attacked.

She lashed out with a quick chop to the creature's head, then kicked at his knee and spun around to round house kick him in the ribs. He flew back onto the pavement, stunned for a moment. Trini looked shocked at the outcome.

"Whoa…" She backed away as the alien got to his feet again. Thankfully, she wasn't the only Ranger on the battlefield.

Jason leapt at the creature with a loud shout, drilling him with a right hook to the face. Jason actually felt the alien's skull cave in under the blow, and was disgusted for a moment. But instead of sinking to the pavement, the alien just cocked his head and laughed. His skull reformed itself as Jason watched, and it advanced again.

"Hold the line! We have to give these people time to escape!" Jason shouted as he dragged Trini back. The five them reformed their line, and stood motionless as they watched the aliens come closer and closer.

"When are these Ranger powers supposed to start working?" Kimberly demanded, holding out her hands halfheartedly.

"I think they already have…" Trini said in wonder, still in shock over her new strength.

"Here they come!" Zack shouted as an alien tackled him, throwing them both to the ground. Another four aliens grabbed each of the new Rangers, and the fight was on.

Zack tried to wrestle the creature off of him, but the thing didn't act like it had any bones. Elbows and knees bent out of shape as it pinned the teen to the ground and raised his spiked hand menacingly.

Zack jerked his head away as the spike dug into the pavement, sending chips of asphalt everywhere. Zack gathered his legs under the alien's stomach and kicked out as hard as he could, expecting the thing to be thrown back enough to let him escape. Instead, the alien went flying into the air. Zack instinctively leapt to his feet, surprised at how easy it was, and grinned at the stunned enemy.

"Oh yeah, let's try that again, putty-face!"

Kimberly managed to back flip away from her attacker, whirling through the air faster and faster. She rounded it off by landing in a kneeling position with a cat like grin. Suddenly, a predatory instinct kicked in, and she was on the offensive.

The tiny girl charged forward, tackled the alien's legs and flipped him over her back. As he flew over her, she braced her hands against the pavement and kicked out behind her, catching the now upside down alien in the stomach.

He flew backwards into a pile of rubble while Kimberly used her momentum to leap back to her feet. "This is way more fun than gymnastics…"

Trini had always used Kung Fu as a form of meditation, not self defense. But she still knew the moves, and with the microscopic robots coursing through her veins, she now had the strength to deliver the blows with deadly force.

When the alien tried to force her to the ground, she lashed out with blinding speed, delivering chops and kicks almost faster than the eye could see. She finished it by trying to flip the alien by twisting his arm, but the joint just twisted with her hand. He spun around and punched her in the gut with his non-spiked fist as hard as he could.

Trini expected to be knocked down or backwards, but instead, she only got angrier. She punched the alien's chest, face and arms as fast as she could, pummeling the creature to the ground in seconds.

Jason had always been a fighter by nature. If he saw a kid being bullied, he'd step in and stop it. If he saw a fight between one kid and four bullies, he'd be there in heartbeat. So protecting his friends and the citizens of Angel Grove felt natural to him; like he'd been born into it.

He didn't know Kung Fu, he wasn't flexible enough to do fancy flips, and he didn't have the long and involved dance background that Zack claimed was so important. But Jason had fists, and he knew how to use those.

Blow after blow landed on the alien's face, each one going deep into the oddly soft skull. He threw all of his body weight into one final attack, and sent an uppercut into the alien's now deformed chin.

It fell back onto the road, motionless for a split second. Jason panted as he watched the alien recuperate, and slowly rise to its feet again.

"You just don't give up, do you?" Jason demanded. He started over again, punching wildly at the creature as hard as he could.

Billy was in trouble. He'd been tackled to the ground and almost impaled before he managed to squirm free of the alien's grasp; he had no fighting experience whatsoever. He'd always thought that long hours of violent video games would have taught him something useful, but nothing came to him when he really needed it.

He kicked at the alien feebly, scared to death of the long stone-like spike on the alien's hand. It chased him on its haunches, laughing in its own way as it tormented him. The spike came down again and again around Billy's head as he struggled to escape, narrowly dodging each attack.

He was trapped against the curb and a pile of rubble when he heard Trini scream. Two aliens had ganged up on her and were driving her to the ground mercilessly. Time seemed to stop. The alien's spike was falling towards him, Trini was falling to the ground, and the rest of the group was busy fighting elsewhere.

And then it all moved at once. Billy rolled to his right over the pile of rubble, snatching up a length of rebar and leaping to his feet. He aimed for the aliens over Trini and threw the improvised spear as hard as he could. It sailed through the air, impacting the first alien right between its beady eyes. The rebar sank in and went through the soft skull, ending up almost perfectly halfway through the alien's head. The other looked shocked and scurried away, while Trini looked up at Billy in shock.

Billy's attacker jumped up at him again, but Billy was ready. He had a large chunk of concrete in his other hand, and smashed it against the alien's temple. Gray slime splattered Billy's chest, and the alien flew to the ground.

One after another, the alien's slowly fell down and backwards, scurrying back to their own lines. Jason and his friends stood together again, panting and sweating from the battle. Trini had a new cut on her face, but was otherwise unhurt. The rest of them hadn't even been bruised.

"That doesn't look good…" Kimberly said nervously. There were now at least forty of the aliens approaching them now, and doing so much more carefully. They'd formed a military like line, with spikes forward and heads low.

"What do we do now?" Trini asked Jason, as if he'd know exactly what to do. This time, at least, he did.

"Let's see how these Ranger weapons work. It's Morphing Time!"

All five of them pulled out their Coins, holding them in their right fists. Zack remembered Zordon's specific wording, and the rest came like muscle memory. He held his closed right fist at his side, palm up, and held his arm with his other hand. In one quick motion, he thrust his right hand forward and up, yelling the word burning in his mind.

"Mastodon!"

As his hand closed around the glowing orb, the skin on his hands seemed to turn gray. In seconds, metallic plates rose out of his skin, forming an armored glove. The tiny, ancient robots floating through his veins rose to the surface, and all along his body, armor appeared almost out of no where. Zordon's voice boomed into his ears again as the transformation occurred.

"Zachary, the Mastodon is the great protector, capable of withstanding mighty blows. Use your armor to protect those around you!"

The armor covered his hands, arms, and quickly covered his chest and back. It formed over clothes, wrapped around his legs and encased his feet. A black visor appeared over his eyes, and information streamed over it quickly. It seemed like an eternity, but the entire transformation took place in seconds. Zack had become the Black Ranger.

"Pterodactyl!"

"Kimberly, the Pterodactyl is the observer, soaring above the battle and learning the enemy's strength. Use your wings to attack from above!"

Pink light streamed through her fingers as the Coin activated, and thin metal plates grew from every pore, covering her from head to toe. A heavy weight appeared on her back, growing out of her spine, and wings unfolded behind her arms. Her fingers and toes were encased in long claws, and her eyes were covered by a thick visor. Each arm and leg had fin-like protrusions, and a sudden feeling of weightlessness hit her. Kimberly had become the Pink Ranger.

"Triceratops!"

"Billy, the Triceratops is the wisest of all animals, finding and exploiting weaknesses in the enemy. Use your insight to defeat the enemy, wherever it lies!"

Armor quickly covered Billy's lithe frame, sharp and jagged at every joint. When the plates interlocked, they resembled a shield. When he attacked, each plate folded out like knives; or more appropriately, like horns. His visor showed him every movement and every action of the aliens before him, and he could already see patterns in their attacks.

"Saber Tooth Tiger!"

"Trini, the Saber Tooth Tiger is the hunter, stalking its prey from the shadows. Use your stealth and speed to eliminate threats before they happen!"

Trini's suit was more leathery in appearance; the metal plates were flexible and smooth to the touch. As the armor formed, it changed shape and color instantly to blend in with the surrounding environment, camouflaging her perfectly. Claws formed over her fingers, elbows, knees and heels, each one razor sharp. Her visor appeared, and identified leaders and stragglers in the pack ahead of them.

"Tyrannosaurus!"

"Jason, the Tyrannosaurus is the deadliest of all hunters; it moves with speed and agility around the battlefield, destroying foes with ease!"

Jason heard Zordon and saw the information on his visor at the same time. His new instincts kicked in again, and his armor grew around him. From the armored metal plates, sharp blades appeared on his arms and legs, while his gloves suddenly grew spikes on all his knuckles. His vision changed to an almost infra-red spectrum, and every alien in front of him was plainly visible.

"Whoa…"

"This is incredible!"

"I can't believe it worked!"

Nervous chatter came over the built in radios in each helmet, before Zordon's voice overshadowed them all.

"Rangers, Rita's soldiers are still marching on the city. You must find a way to defeat them before the take control of Angel Grove!"

Jason's focus snapped back to the now nervous looking enemies ahead, and the rest of his friends followed suit.

"Alright! Let's finish this!"


	4. Powerful Weapons

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

The five Rangers charged forward with newfound strength and speed, straight towards the putty like aliens. This time, it was the aliens that broke as they were tackled by the Rangers.

Jason kicked off against a burning car and drove his fist down into an alien with enough force to nearly split the creature in half. He kicked out to his left, catching another with his boot and sending him to the ground as well. Two more charged at him; he calmly punched outward with both fists, grabbed their heads, and slammed them together with enough force to splatter each one into gray slime. But as he watched, each alien only straightened themselves and reformed, jumping back into the fray.

Kimberly half ran, half glided into the alien line, slicing deep into them with her bladed arms and legs. With a quick kick, she was airborne. Her arms shot up into the recesses of the wings, and a jetpack-like device on her lower back lit up. She flew up into the smoke filled sky, her visor magnifying and enhancing the details around her.

"Jason, there's only about twenty of these things on this road. Once we beat them back, it's all clear." Kimberly reported, oddly calm. The sensation of flying, with only a thin metal suit of armor between her and the wind, somehow felt natural.

"What about the other roads? Are the aliens only attacking here?" Jason demanded, actively throwing a punch as he spoke.

"On it." She banked hard to the right, flying through a pillar of smoke and soaring over a dozen roof tops.

"Oh wow…" Kimberly exclaimed, taking in the sight in front of her. "Okay, there are three other points I can see where the aliens have been attacking, but the police are kind of handling them."

"Kind of?" Billy cut in.

"There's a lot of bodies. Some are police, some are just normal people. But the cops are in SWAT gear now and they seem to be winning."

"Good to hear. Circle back around and see if there's anything getting past either barricade." Jason ordered. Kimberly didn't think about it, she just flew. Taking orders from an almost complete stranger was odd, but so was flying over the city, which happened to be on fire. The aliens had already done a lot of damage to the little they'd managed to touch.

Back on the ground, Zack was tearing through the aliens left and right. They always jumped back up for a second, but it was fun putting them down in the first place. Zack's Mastodon armor was tough, heavy, and thick. He could punch through solid concrete, kick through a car door, and pry open an alien with his armored gloves. They weren't getting past him, but he wasn't making any progress, either.

"Zack, over there!" Billy jumped _over_ him, landed on top of an alien, and speared the creature through with his spiked arms.

"There's a kid trapped in that car! I'll hold these things off, you get her out!" Billy shouted. He stood up to his full height, slammed his arms together in front of his face, and the interlocking blades formed a barricade. He braced his legs and turned to Zack again.

"Go!"

Zack nodded quickly and ran to the car Billy had pointed out; a small four door Corolla looking vehicle was sitting half on the sidewalk, half off. Its tires were slashed, and the driver… She wasn't with them anymore.

Zack tore the nearest alien away from the trunk, literally throwing it over his shoulder, and jammed a few fingers into the door crack. With a quick flick of his wrist, the door flew off and he heard a scream.

"Hey! It's okay, I'm here to help!" Zack assured her, stepping into view. Somehow, his helmet knew to broadcast his voice over a speaker instead of into the radio. It sounded distorted, which wasn't a bad thing in Zack's book.

The girl was only eleven or twelve; she was curled up in a ball behind the driver's seat, looking terrified. Zack reached inside and gently scooped the girl up, glad that his armor wasn't as bladed as Billy's or Jason's.

"Come on, I gotcha!" Zack said softly. He held the small girl against his chest as he saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

An alien had jumped over the car, raised his spiked hand into the air, and driven it into Zack's back. He saw the movement and waited for the blow, but it never came. The alien weapon slid off the armor like a plastic spoon trying to cut rubber. Zack wrapped his arms tighter around the girl, and his armor seemed to follow his lead. It rearranged itself to cover the girl better, forming a shell.

"Kimberly! I got a delivery for you!" Zack said into the radio as Billy ripped his attacker away. He didn't have time to see where the alien had gone, but a squishing sound told him all he needed. Kimberly zoomed into view, streaking low over the pavement straight towards him.

"I saw! Give her to me!" She let her arms drop out of the wings, and Zack threw the girl to her as she passed. Kimberly's wings dipped to the right, she put her arms out to the left, and Zack tossed the horrified girl all at the same instant.

Kimberly caught her in her arms and shot out of sight, faster than the eye could see. "I'll take her to the police line! BRB!"

"BRB? What is this, Instagram?" Zack complained.

As Kimberly flew the child to safety, another alien spotted her and climbed onto a car for a better shot. He cupped his hands like the first one had, and a dark red glow appeared. Before Zack or Billy could say a word, the alien sank to the ground, missing an arm and 'bleeding' from the chest and head. A faint shimmer told them Trini was in the area, and another three aliens that had been watching were shredded as well.

"Whoa… way to go invisi-girl!" Zack laughed, watching as the carnage unfolded.

"Dang it! How do we kill these things?" Jason demanded. He had been fighting six of the creatures at once, before throwing them all to the ground in pieces. But as he watched, they all slowly reassembled and rose to their feet again.

"Jason! There's something in their back, like a spine or something!" Billy said quickly, staring intently at the alien in his bladed hand. It screamed and squirmed as Billy reached _into_ its chest, and pulled out a handful of gray slime. But as the slime dripped off, a white, cockroach-like insect emerged. Billy scanned it for a second with his visor before crushing it in his hand.

The putty-like slime that made up the alien suddenly melted in his other hand, and the creature was reduced to a puddle. It didn't get back up, and Billy grinned underneath his helmet.

"That's it! Aim for the spine!" Billy shouted.

"Easier said than done!" Trini shouted. They all turned to see her get tackled by three more aliens. They'd seen her annihilate one of their friends and swung wildly, making a lucky connection. Her armor wasn't as thick, and the spiked hands all rose in unison.

As Billy and Zack ran, the spiked hands had already started to descend. As Trini arched her back and tried to roll away, a bright pink bolt tore through the lead alien's chest. A bug hit the concrete behind him with the bolt still lodged in its carapace.

"Guys! You won't believe what I found!" Kimberly laughed, a slightly predatory edge to her voice. Two more arrow-like shards hit the aliens around Trini, and two more bugs hit the ground. All of slime that had composed the three aliens fell in a puddle, and Trini leapt to her feet again.

"Whoa, thanks!" Trini watched as Kimberly dove over the battlefield again, firing shot after shot from a bow in her right hand. The child was gone, and the new archer was having the time of her life.

"I've got something on my HUD; there are weapons built into all our suits!" Billy shouted, his eyes skimming the feed of data as he spoke.

"Yeah, I kind of found my mine on accident…" Kimberly said shyly.

"Guys? A little help?" Jason was thrown off of a pile of rubble and into a car, and six more aliens dove on top of him.

"Jason, use your Power Sword!" Billy was moving as he spoke, and two long, bladed shafts suddenly popped out of slots on his arm. He pounded his fists together, and the shafts interlocked, forming a bladed lance. He rolled over the car, skewered an alien's back, and kept rolling until he was on his feet and holding a while bug on the tip of his new weapon. Slime splattered against the rubble behind him as the white bug stopped squirming on his lance.

As they watched, a flurry of lightning fast strokes whipped through the aliens, and Jason jumped to his feet covered in slime. The other five attackers actually froze in their tracks before splattering to the ground among bits and pieces of the parasites.

"I can get used to this…" Jason said fondly, admiring the long, red sword in his hand.

"Guys, look out!" Trini shouted a warning before throwing a short yellow dagger between their heads, and another alien was pinned to the wall of a building with the handle sticking out of his chest. As Jason and Billy watched, the dagger flew out of the dissolving corpse and back into Trini's waiting hand.

"Nice…" Both boys echoed, turning to face Trini. She vanished back into her camouflage and scanned the area for more prey.

"Yo, putty-face!" Zack shouted from behind them. "Kiss my Ax!"

The car's back window shattered and a severed alien head flew onto the dashboard. Zack laughed insanely and jumped onto the roof, brandishing a long black Ax in one hand.

"I wonder what else these things are hiding? 'Cause I'm liking this!" He did a flip off the roof and cleaved another alien in half, from it's forehead to its crouch. The twin halves melted into slime, while Jason and Billy got back into the fray.

Kimberly shot arrows from above, Trini ambushed stragglers with her daggers, Billy speared leaders with his lance, and Zack stood in the middle of the street, cleaving anything stupid enough to try and escape the slaughter.

But it was Jason that really ran the battle. He ran at dizzying speeds from target to target, slicing, spearing, and hacking his way through dozens of foes in seconds. Soon, they were running out of targets and wishing for more.

"Alright! That's all of them!" Kimberly practically squealed, landing gracefully on the stained pavement. She tucked her bow into the jetpack, and the wings folded away as well.

Billy disconnected his lance and folded it away, slowly walking up to her as well. Trini slid her daggers into her belt, coming out of camouflage again for their benefit. Even the incredible new senses each suit brought, they all had a hard time seeing her. Zack slid his Ax onto his back, and it folded into the armor seamlessly.

Jason was the last to emerge from the gore, flinging a last glob of slime away as he sheathed the long blade onto his back like the rest.

"Jason to Zordon; the aliens have been driven back. What are our orders?"

He was answered by the bright lights of the teleportation, and they were all whisked away.


	5. Clowning Around

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

Back at the command center, as soon as the five teens had materialized, their Ranger armor began to fade. It shrunk, twisted and warped before vanishing back into their skin. It looked incredibly painful, but none of them felt anything but exhilaration.

"Rangers! You've succeeded where many others have failed. You should you proud of yourselves, and each other." Zordon boomed. There was a faint smile on his holographic face, and even Alpha-5 seemed pleased.

"Thanks, I think." Jason said sheepishly. "Does this mean it's over? We beat back the aliens…"

"I vote we call them 'Putties'. All in favor?" Zack cut in, raising his hand high. He looked around at each of them expectantly, but they were all still looking Jason.

"…the Putties, or whatever they're called. Are we done?" Jason finished. His voice sounded unsure as he spoke.

"I'm afraid not, Rangers." Zordon answered. Jason nodded thoughtfully, but the other four grinned behind his back. They'd all enjoyed the experience, even if Jason wasn't going to admit it.

"This was only the first of many battles. Now that Rita knows of your existence, she will be determined to destroy you at every turn. Until she is defeated, neither you nor anyone else on this world is safe."

Jason shrugged in an unconcerned way. "No problem. We ate those Putties alive, once we figured out how our armor worked. They aren't hard to beat."

"Oh, poor, stupid humans…" Alpha's robotic voice was the most condescending any of them had ever heard, and Zordon spoke quickly to interrupt him.

"What Alpha means is that Rita will send far more than Putties against you, and the people of Earth. You've won the first battle against her troops in Angel Grove; because of that, she will assume that this is your home. Her attacks will be relentless and ongoing."

"Zordon, this _is_ our home. And those things saw our faces; what happens if those creepy aliens show up at our houses? My parents both work downtown, should I go with them every day to make sure they aren't…?" Kimberly demanded nervously. Jason put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly as Alpha answered her.

"You destroyed the only… Putties… that saw your faces. Besides, to Rita, you humans all look the same." Alpha played with Zack's new nickname, but seemed to like it.

"What? Look the same?" Zack fairly shouted. His voice got high and Jason grinned, knowing what was coming.

"I'm black, Trini's Asian, Kimberly looks Irish and Jason and Billy are whiter than marshmallow fluff! On what world do we look alike?" Zack asked, leaning dramatically on a console.

"On Rita's world, obviously." Alpha shot back.

"Oh, very funny, Mr. Roomba. Shouldn't you be vacuuming around a table or tormenting a cat somewhere else?"

"Your attitude levels are reaching critical mass. Do you feel the urge to cry?" Alpha asked, cocking his head sarcastically.

Zordon and the rest of the Rangers tuned them out as Jason asked a more serious question.

"So we're supposed to just go back to our families and wait for the next time Rita's Putties show up?"

"For now, yes. Rita will be furious at the defeat, and will most likely strike again. But I must warn you, Rangers. This must be kept a secret from all you love and wish to protect. If you are exposed, Kimberly's fears would become reality. Your homes, your families, and everything you loved would be destroyed purely out of Rita's spite. Guard your identities well." Zordon said gravely.

"You know what? My smart phone is more advanced then you are, and I can turn it on and off like that!" Zack shouted loudly. Alpha didn't miss a beat.

"Poor human; he cannot recognize perfection when it is right in front of him…" Alpha's voice sounded genuinely sad as he looked Zack up and down.

"What about these orbs, the Power Coins?" Trini asked, still holding hers in her palm. When the Ranger armor was activated, it seemed to melt into their palms and disappear. But as soon as the armor was powered down, the orbs appeared in their hands again.

"Keep them close to you at all times. The Coins control the nanites in your bodies; without them, you would not be able to morph. Rita would give her entire army to posses them; she would be more than willing to kill any of you to acquire these Coins." Zordon explained.

Jason turned around to look at Zack, who was now challenging Alpha to an arm-wrestling contest.

"Zack."

"Come on bolt-brains! Put your money where your mouth is!"

"Zack!" Jason yelled.

"What?" Zack turned around to look at Jason, and Alpha took the opportunity to slam Zack's hand to the console's top.

"Power Coin." Jason held up his own and pointed to it.

"Magic Marble? Got it!" Zack whipped out his own from his pocket.

" _Power Coin._ " Jason growled. "Keep it safe. Got it?"

"No problem." He tucked it back into the front pocket of his jeans and turned to Alpha. "Best two out of three!"

Jason sighed and turned back to Zordon.

"Is there anything else we need to know?"

"Not presently. You've had an eventful day, Rangers. Return home and rest; we will call you when you are needed." Zordon promised.

"Got it. Zack?" Jason grabbed Zack's sweatshirt and hauled him back over to their group.

"Until we meet again. May the Power protect you!" Zordon spoke as Alpha punched the button, and the five of them were teleported away.

* * *

Billy was placed back in his bedroom, standing in front of the unmade bed. His computer on the desk in front of him was in stand-by mode, just the way he'd left it before he'd gone to the juice bar. No one had come or gone since.

Billy's room was small, but packed full of life's necessities. His solitary window had blinds and blackout curtains covering it, eliminating any possible glare. One bookshelf along another wall held dozens of comic books, a dictionary, a used encyclopedia set, and half a dozen textbooks on computer programming. His carpet was worn and ragged, his bed was made once every other year, and his dresser was choked with clothes hanging half in, half out of the drawers.

"Home sweet home…" Billy said to himself. He plopped down on the bed and kicked his ratty tennis shoes off, sliding them under the bed as soon as they hit the carpet. His old zip-up sweatshirt and ragged tee shirt were getting thinner and thinner every day, but thankfully his faded blue jeans were still in good shape. He glanced over at the mirror hanging on his closet door and studied himself.

He had average length, brownish blond hair that he cut himself. His big brown eyes were always squinting at something or another, and a good amount of freckles and acne covering the rest of his face. He wasn't a handsome looking guy by anyone's standards, but it could have been worse. He was built like a stick figure and constantly wore loose and baggy clothes, which didn't help his appearance, but he was more concerned with comfort than with style.

"You sure don't look like a super hero…" Billy told the face in the mirror, adjusting the large, plastic-framed glasses resting on his nose. Somehow, his suit's visor had formed over the things, which was a relief. Having to remember to take them on or off in the middle of a battle would get annoying fast.

He sighed and fell back onto the rumpled bed spread, closing his eyes and replaying the day's events over again. He'd killed people. Well, aliens, but they'd been alive anyway. Or had they? Large parasites controlling a glob of gray putty didn't sound inherently 'alive', but who was he to judge?

He'd also seen people, real people, who were dead. Not just 'a creepy video off of You-Tube' dead, but actually gone. No longer living. That man in the gutter could have been a father, a son, a brother. Had he left family behind? That woman that had been pulled out of the car; she'd left a daughter behind. Did that girl have a father, or was she now an orphan?

Billy fought the urge to throw up as he mulled over it, trying to think of something else. But it was all still fresh in his mind. This was his life now. Could he live with that? His parents were in the living room with the TV on and an empty case of beer strewn around the room. They hadn't noticed that their son was gone. That was the life he'd had before.

He swallowed hard and blinked rapidly to clear the tears welling there. Yes, he could do this, he decided. What was his alternative?

Jason was teleported straight to his room as well. How Zordon and Alpha had figured out where he lived, he didn't know. So far he'd been teleported from an alley downtown and a juice bar, not counting the battlefield on the edge of town. And yet, here he was now, standing in his massive room.

His bed was freshly made, his desk had papers stacked neatly in one corner and a new laptop resting in the other. The bay window on his right let the sunlight in, dancing across the dark hard wood floor.

Jason's family wasn't rich. But they had enough. His father had been a big contractor in the area, so he'd turned their house into a mini-mansion on his days off. But after he died when Jason was ten, his wife and son had been left alone. Jason's mother worked part time at a local restaurant, doing their bookkeeping and records. Thankfully, the late Garrett Scott, Jason's father, had left plenty of money in the bank. His contracting business had been bought out by another company, leaving Jason's family with enough for his college fund, his car fund, and a few other things besides. He wasn't rich, he just had enough. But maybe that _was_ rich in the year 2015.

Jason shook his head to clear all of the thoughts raging inside his mind, leaning on the chair in front of him. He stripped off his leather jacket and threw it onto his bed, leaving only his old red tee shirt and brand new jeans. His name brand tennis shoes were only a few weeks old, but they were now covered in blood and putty slime. He'd have to clean them off before his mom noticed.

He heard his mom coming down the hallway and quickly kicked the shoes off and into the open closet before opening his door.

"Jason! There you are, I came in earlier and you were already gone! Where have you been?" She pushed her way into Jason's room and crossed her arms, looking her son over carefully.

Jason had inherited his dark brown hair from her, but his thick jaw and dark blue eyes he'd gotten from his father. His mother, on the other hand, was thin and petite. She was only five foot three in height, compared to Jason's six foot two, so the stern looks always had to be directed upward.

"I went out with some friends early; sorry I didn't call." Jason said weakly, realizing that his excuse wasn't going to cut it.

"I've been worried sick about you! I saw on the news that there was some kind of attack north of the city! There are dozens of people dead and wounded, where have you been?" Jason's mother demanded, all in one breath.

"I was out at an old juice bar on the south edge of town with a few friends, that's all." Jason said carefully, knowing his mother would see through a direct lie.

"All morning? It's eleven thirty and you were out of bed at six!"

"I'm sorry I woke you up and I'm sorry I had you worried. But I'm fine, see?" Jason said with a half smile, hoping to escape any more questions. His mother gave him a suspicious look, but didn't press him.

"I didn't know you had any friends besides Zack. Who were these people?"

"Oh uh, just some friends from school…" Jason said lamely.

"Friends from school? You mean girls from school." Her tone told Jason that the subject wasn't up for debate. He sighed with relief and nodded, glad that she'd made the connection.

"Yeah, that's about it. Trini Kwan and Kimberly Hart. I guess I lost track of the time…" Jason trailed off as his mother nodded knowingly.

"I see. Don't let it happen again. I'm okay with you going out, but I want to know that you're safe! After what happened in San Francisco, and now Angel Grove, I just…" She stopped and pursed her lips, getting more and more upset with each word.

Jason moved to hug her, feeling guilty that he'd had to lie. "I know. I'll stay safe from now on."

* * *

Even with all of the chaos of the past few days, Trini and Kimberly were both able to slip away from home for a few hours. School had been cancelled until further notice, so the two girls were walking aimlessly down Kimberly's street. They were both rattled, tired, and starting to crazy, so the relaxing walk was definitely needed.

"Did you hear about school being cancelled?" Trini asked after a while, digging her hands into her pockets as she spoke.

"Oh yeah. I guess the whole 'alien invasion' thing kind of ruined that." Kimberly laughed.

"I heard that almost no one is calling the Putties aliens. Most people think they're just some weird mob or cult that decided to attack right after the Frisco disaster."

"Seriously? A giant meteorite takes out a city and gray monsters appear out of no where, and no one makes the connection?" Kimberly asked, sounding shocked the stupidity of it.

"I guess not. Maybe it's a good thing, though. The less people know, the better."

Kimberly shook her head firmly. "No way. I hate secrets; I think it all needs to come out in the open. Except for our new day jobs, that is…" Kimberly said quickly, noticing the look on Trini's face.

"In any case, aside from the disaster in San Francisco, and the random attacks all around the world, _and_ the invasion that happened up north, we've also got refugees coming in now. I doubt anything will be back to normal for a long time."

"Refugees? From where?" Kimberly hadn't heard that news story; she'd barely watched any news at all in the past week.

"Frisco, where else? The only ones who survived were the ones too high up for the wave to hit; they're all heading here now. They're turning places like the school auditorium and the football stadium into camps for survivors." Trini explained. She'd been watching it all carefully, not having much else to do.

"Wow. This all so crazy… I feel like I'm in a horror movie." Kimberly said with a shudder.

As the two girls were walking, they noticed a small boy playing in his yard. He had a ball he was kicking back and forth, obviously practicing soccer. He only looked to be about five; Trini was surprised that no one was around to watch him. She asked Kimberly about it, who only shrugged.

"That's the Parkers. They're kind of… out there. But Corey's a cool kid. He has a massive crush on me; this one time…" She started to go into a long story, but stopped short. A tall man dressed as a clown had stepped out from behind a nearby fence, and crossed the street to Corey's yard.

"Who is that?" Trini demanded. He was far too tall to look normal; at least seven foot. His limbs were long and gangly, while his makeup had a horrifying twist to it, like it had been applied with a hammer and chisel.

"I have no idea…"

Both girls stopped and watched curiously as the man walked right up to Corey, who stopped kicking the ball long enough to get a good look at him. The entire scene was happening only a few yards away; they could hear every word being said.

"Hello there!" The clown's voice was high pitched and scratchy; it sent chills down the girls' spines.

"Who are you?"

"Why, I'm Atir, the clown! Do you want to see a magic trick?" The clown asked, bending over to be almost nose to nose with the boy. With disturbing speed, the clown produced a balloon animal from behind his back and gave it to the boy.

"Wow, this so cool!"

"Do you want to see a real pony? I've got a whole herd of them back at the circus! Come with me, I'll show you!" Atir gingerly took the boy's hand and started to lead him out of the yard.

"Oh my gosh… We have to do something, right?" Kimberly asked, her voice cracking as she watched in horror.

"Definitely." Trini said in a far more firm tone.

"We should call the police!"

"So call them!" Trini left Kimberly standing on the sidewalk and took off down the road.

"Hey you! Let him go!"

Atir the clown whirled around, saw the two girls, and frowned so darkly Trini was sure she'd have nightmares later. He held onto the boy's hand all the tighter, snarling and spitting with rage.

"Leave us alone!" He screamed. Corey had realized that something was wrong, and tried desperately to escape.

"Let him go, now!" Trini stepped forward, undaunted, until they were only a few feet apart. Atir reached behind his back menacingly, and then something flew past his head.

Billy had appeared out of no where and thrown a trash can lid, hoping it would hit the clown. It instead came a few inches away from hitting Trini, and both of them turned to face him.

"Even if that had hit me, it wouldn't have hurt!" Atir's voice took on an almost childish voice, and Billy turned a shade whiter.

"I'm distracting you, turd blossom!" Billy quoted, staring the clown down bravely. As the realization hit the giant man, Kimberly flipped into the air and landed on the man's back, Trini snatched the child away, and Billy ran forward to tackle him.

Trini sent the boy sprinting back to his yard, while Kimberly held onto the clown's neck for dear life. Billy was wrapped around one leg, trying to throw him to the ground. It didn't work.

"You don't play nice!" The clown kicked Billy off, who went flying into a trashcan, and threw Kimberly to the asphalt.

Before anyone could get up or attack again, the clown vanished into thin air. One second he was there, looking crazed and terrifying, the next he was just gone.

"What just happened?" Kimberly asked shakily. Billy snatched his glasses up and readjusted them while he caught his breath.

"He teleported away. Three guesses what that means." Trini said darkly.

"We should call Jason and Zack; I think this is Ranger related, and they'll want to be in the loop." Billy suggested. He finally climbed to his feet, watching as Kimberly rolled to a standing position and dusted herself off.

"Thanks for the help getting up." Kimberly shot Billy an amused and annoyed look, which he didn't understand at all.

"And thanks for the trashcan lid. Next time you decide to go Captain America, how about a little warning?" Trini joked. Billy blushed and looked down, muttering an apology.


	6. Wikipedia Didn't Help

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

The five teens met at the old juice bar again; despite all of the chaos it was still empty and quiet. Trini, Billy and Kimberly had all piled into Kimberly's convertible and raced down to the juice bar after making some hasty excuses to their parents.

They sat inside at the same table as last time, trying not to look nervous or suspicious as they waited. The old guy who ran the bar asked if they were going to order, and then promptly went back to sleep. His snoring could be heard in any part of the bar; it was obvious he wouldn't be eavesdropping any time soon.

A half hour after Kimberly had sent out the 'S.O.S.' texts, Zack finally strolled in the door alone and looking annoyed. He hastily sat down at their table and put his palms down on the top before speaking.

"Okay. I had to tell my brother that I had a bad case of the craps to get away and Jason's not coming at all because of his mom. Whatever this is, make it quick." Zack ordered. Billy was mildly aggravated at Zack's tone, while Trini and Kimberly didn't seem to notice.

"Very classy excuse, Zack." Kimberly said with disgust.

"Thanks. I try." He shot back with a sarcastic smile.

Trini folded her arms and rolled her eyes, obviously getting fed up. "Can we get back to the threat at hand, please?"

"Sure. What exactly happened?" Zack leaned back in his chair dramatically, like an interviewer questioning a celebrity.

"A giant clown with messed up makeup tried to kidnap a kid. When we attacked him…" Billy started to say. Zack stopped him with a hand.

"Whoa, a jacked-up clown goes all 'It' on some kid and you guys just charge in? I'm not sure if that's stupid or brave, but either way, I'm impressed." Zack said sincerely.

Billy rolled his jaw around angrily before going on. "…when we attacked him, he teleported away. To my knowledge, only Rangers and Putties can do that." Billy said the last part quietly, even though the owner of the bar was still snoring soundly.

Zack pursed his lips and nodded contemplatively. "Okay then. Are we sure he actually teleported? Could he have just like ducked behind a trashcan or something?"

"Zack, three of us had him surrounded on all sides and he vanished into thin air. Trust me. He teleported." Trini said firmly. She looked less than amused at his doubt, and Zack finally seemed to get it.

"Okay, I'm calling Jason. Let's see what he says about Ronald's McDonald's evil twin." Zack put his phone down on the table and set it to speakerphone as Jason picked up.

"I have two minutes. What's going on?" Jason asked hurriedly.

"Evil, teleporting clowns kidnapping kids. Freaky stuff, man." Zack summed up. Billy chimed in when Jason didn't respond.

"Both of those are singular, for the moment. One clown, one kid. But I'm monitoring police radio signals, so if any more calls come in, we'll hear about it."

"You monitor police radios? That kind of sounds illegal…" Kimberly said hesitantly. Billy shrugged and looked down.

"Listening isn't illegal. Responding to calls is. So as long as we aren't caught, we're okay."

"You know it's going to be a good day when someone says that line." Zack grinned, slapping Billy's shoulder.

"Alright, so what's our plan?" Jason asked. They all paused, looking down at the phone as if Jason was inside.

"…That's why we're calling you…" Kimberly ventured, as if it were obvious.

They could almost hear the frustration over the line as Jason spoke. "Look, I've never fought off aliens or clowns, and you all have just as much experience with this stuff as I do. I'm not some fearless leader that has all the answers."

"But you do have a plan, right?" Zack asked knowingly.

There was silence again before he answered. "Not much of one. Billy, keep monitoring radio traffic, social media, blogs, anything you can think of. Let us know if anything else turns up. Trini, Kimberly, do you think this kid was targeted specifically?"

"No, he was just alone and an easy target." Trini said confidently.

"If you're sure, start working on older cases. Billy will be tied up monitoring things in real time, but maybe there's an old newspaper article or police report on this happening before. We can't just assume that anything out of the ordinary is Rita; this still might be a coincidence."

"Jason, you didn't see this thing. If it's not Rita, then we've got another problem that's even scarier than she is." Kimberly said in a low tone. She still looked disturbed from the encounter.

"Alright, I believe you. But we don't know anything real yet. And we can't act until we have something to act on. Zack, how much time do you have before you need to get back?" Jason asked. Zack sighed and checked the time with a wry smile.

"I'm already busted. I'd better get back. I'd like to help guys, but…" He stopped short, searching for the right words. Jason came to the rescue.

"Our families have to come first, always. If any of you guys need to get back home, don't hesitate. The cops are out there for a reason, and only you know your situation."

Jason sounded oddly calm and relaxed as he spoke, as if this was just another day in the office. No one questioned him or put up another idea, they just went along with it.

"Let's check in again in a few hours. I have to go, be careful you guys." With that, he hung up and Zack put his phone back in his pocket.

"I gotta run too. But seriously, if that thing comes back, call me!" Zack ordered. He ran out the door and took off down the street, disappearing from sight a minute later.

Trini and Kimberly both turned to Billy, who looked back and forth between them nervously.

"So, Billy, have you ever hunted monsters with two beautiful girls?" Kimberly asked playfully. Billy nodded seriously.

"Yes, actually. But they were both married and had to keep taking breaks to check on their kids. For some reason, moms are really into that sort of thing. Plus, it wasn't a clown, it was a troupe of flying monkeys." Without another word, Billy stood up and walked back to the car, stopping at the door to look back them.

"Are you two coming?"

Both girls looked at each other with concerned expressions before cracking up. Neither one had any clue what he was talking about, but he'd said it so confidently they knew there must have been a good story behind it.

Kimberly snatched up her keys and shook her head, still smiling. "Oh yeah, we wouldn't want to miss this!"

Kimberly dropped Billy off at his house, but he didn't open the door or go in until the two girls had driven around the corner. They both thought that was odd, but then again, Billy was odd.

Their first stop was the local news station; they'd had a field trip to the place a few months back, and the woman that managed the station had taken a liking to them immediately. She'd promised a full tour any time the girls had a free afternoon, so they figured there was no time like the present. The only reason that woman had been so friendly to Trini and Kimberly was they'd been polite to her; the rest of the class was bored silly and made no attempt to hide it. Both girls were glad they'd shown some interest now.

"Man, our lives are so crazy right now!" Kimberly laughed as she drove, taking another sharp corner. Trini gripped the armrest so hard she left fingerprints in the leather.

"Agreed. Who would have thought a year ago that'd we'd be hunting down monsters and aliens today?" Trini asked, her stomach turning as Kimberly almost hit a cat crossing the road. She swerved at the last second, narrowly missing a light pole.

"I know, right? Well, at least we have another excuse to hang out with Jason!" The way Kimberly put emphasis on the word 'Jason' made Trini tear her eyes away from the terrifying road ahead. Kimberly's driving was the scariest thing she'd seen that day, which said a lot.

"No offense Kimberly, but are boys really our biggest worry right now?"

"Well no, I didn't mean it like that!" She said defensively. "But, you know, he's kind of cute, and stuff…"

"Kimberly, we both know you never needed an excuse to hang out with Jason. But for the moment let's worry about the clown, and look out for that tree!" Trini said the last part as fast she could, cringing and shrinking down in her seat as she spoke.

Kimberly looked back at the road, yelped a little, and swerved back onto the pavement. The tree was small and planted in a sidewalk garden box, but it would still have totaled the tiny car if she'd hit it.

"Oops… Here we go." Kimberly spotted the sign for the news station and slowed down.

"Now, should we try to parallel park or go around back…?" Kimberly asked, studying the open parking spaces carefully.

"Go around back." Trini practically ordered, a shade paler than normal. Kimberly shrugged and made the tight turn, pulling into the back parking lot.

The building itself was three stories tall and as big around as the high school. There were practically no windows and only a few doors in the seamless walls.

"Come on, I totally forgot where that lady's office is and I'm not sure security's going to let us in." Kimberly jumped out of the car while Trini shakily stood up, glad that the ride was finally over.

* * *

Billy had hit a wall. He'd looked everywhere. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, even MySpace and a few other old sites that almost no one used. He then hacked into the police server, which was without a doubt illegal, and found nothing there, either. Trini and Kimberly hadn't reported their sighting, so there was literally nothing in the system about clowns or kidnappings. Most of it was on the cleanup north of the city and the refugees coming in from San Francisco.

He was getting tired and frustrated, and he'd only been at it half an hour. His parents were asleep in their bedroom, thankfully, so he had the house to himself. It wasn't helping that the only thing he could think about was what he should or shouldn't have said to Trini. His halfway attempt at a joke had gotten a laugh, but were they laughing at him, or with him?

He tried to put it out of his head as he searched again for more clues. This time he focused on why someone would be kidnapping kids, and focused the search on magic related topics.

Three Wikipedia pages later, he was sorry he'd looked. He picked up his phone and dialed Jason, who didn't answer. He then tried Zack, Kimberly, and finally Trini. None answered. Jason's phone went straight to voicemail, Zack's was turned off, and the two girls had just let theirs ring. Billy flicked his phone shut again and leaned on his desk, rereading the awful information in front of him.

According to Zordon, thousands of years ago, Rita discovered a new form of power. Magic. She was, in essence, the first witch. But magic isn't something that people create; you aren't born with it. The oldest and purest of records and writings tell a different story.

Magic is not one person's power over the world around him or her, it's a call. A call to some otherworldly power that will do the witch's bidding, for a price. To call a demon, or devil, or spirit, or whatever the witch wants to call it, you have to get the demon's attention.

Some demons like blood, some like chaos, but all are fond of sacrifices. And the way to get to any foul, evil creature's heart? Children. Sacrificing children is a sure way to attract anyone's attention; human or otherwise. Rita had her monsters kidnapping children, and from what Billy could dig up, the only plausible explanation for that was sacrifice.

As to who the clown was targeting, Billy had another idea and was just as disturbing as the first. He tried calling people again, and this time he didn't stop until someone picked up. Oddly enough, it was Kimberly's phone, but Trini's voice was the one that answered.

"Billy? We left our phones in the car, what's wrong?"

"Trini, I need to know if that kid we rescued earlier was a foster child." Billy asked hastily, standing up from his computer as he spoke.

"Oh, uh, I don't know… Here comes Kimberly, I'll ask her."

Billy heard the two girls talking in the background as he walked out the front door. It was still pretty early; only about six o'clock. And even though school had been cancelled, pre-schools and daycares were still operating business as usual.

"Yeah, Kimberly said she's pretty sure Corey's a foster kid. Why?" Trini sounded as nervous as Billy felt.

"Because I think that clown is going after them. Think about it; most foster homes are notoriously neglecting or even abusive. The ones that aren't are sending their kids to preschool or daycare right now. I'm looking at a bus stop full of them right now." Billy stopped walking as he spotted the group of six children, all waiting around for some kind of bus to pick them up. Billy had heard about some preschools in the area having a bus route; he never thought that flyer he'd been using as a drink coaster would come in so handy. 'Little Tykes Funhouse' operated only a few miles away, with a bus service already running.

"Think about it. If you were going to kidnap a few kids and didn't want to be caught, how would you do it?" Billy said into the phone again, still staring at the group of children.

"Oh my gosh… You think that clown's going to strike again?" Kimberly was the one who spoke this time, and Billy's gut sank with dread.

"No. I know he is. I'm looking at him right now!"


	7. Clowncave

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

Billy watched as the giant clown slowly ambled around a car, making his way towards the group of kids. Somehow, the children hadn't seen him yet but the clown was too conspicuous to remain unnoticed for long.

He hung up his phone and jammed it into his pocket, breaking into a sprint towards the monster. He had no clue what he was going to do, but he knew he had to do something.

"Run! Everybody run!" Billy screamed the warning at the top of his lungs, waving his arms and doing everything he could to get their attention. All six of the kids turned around at once, and saw first Billy and then the clown. They got the idea and took off, running as fast as they could down the street.

Atir the clown stopped, spun on his heel, and glared at Billy as he came to a stop.

"That wasn't very nice, you know!" He howled, his already disturbing expression turning into a snarl.

Billy stopped dead in his tracks, panting and shaking a little. He had the clown's attention, but what was he supposed to do now?

His decision was made for him when Atir charged forward, shrieking and snarling as he ran. His limbs flopped through the air insanely, and suddenly he was holding knives in his hands.

Billy backpedaled, almost tripping over a sewer grate as adrenaline flooded his system. The clown was going to kill him. There was no doubt about that. The only thing Billy could do was kill him first.

Billy finally did trip and landed on his butt as the clown cackled maniacally. In a split second, Billy rolled to a crouching position, jumped forward, and tackled the clown's legs. Both of them tumbled to the ground, with the clown screaming and cursing all the while.

Billy rolled free, got to his feet, and held up his fists. The clown jumped up, contorting himself sickeningly to land on his feet. His evil grin remained plastered on as he slashed down at Billy again and again.

Billy dodged one blow, and caught the next with his crossed arms. With a sudden jerk, he pulled the clown's hand forward, slammed his shoulder into the clown's torso, and stepped on his foot all at the same time. It should have thrown him off balance; instead, it only made him laugh...

"Ooh… that was fun! My turn!" With awful strength, the clown picked up Billy by his neck and spun him around. They were face to face, with Billy kicking futilely at his attacker.

"Hmm… you're too old for Rita's spell… But you'll make an excellent snack!" Atir licked his lips, wiping off some of his makeup with a dark purple, forked tongue. He then opened his mouth impossibly wide, his skin stretching to the point of ripping, as his throat opened up to swallow Billy whole. Billy started to panic, until he recognized the sound coming from his right. A horn honked, Atir's eyes grew wide, and Kimberly's car slammed into them both.

But right as the hood of the car brushed up against the clown's clothes, Atir vanished into thin air. Billy was thrown into the back seat of the convertible, and Kimberly slammed on the brakes.

"Oh my gosh, Billy, are you alright?" Both Trini and Kimberly leaned over the seats to look at him as he hit the leather seats.

In response, he crawled to the side of the car and threw up onto the asphalt. Both girls got out of the car and helped Billy out as well, as soon as the flow stopped. He sunk down to the ground and leaned against the back tire, still pale and shaky.

"What happened? We got here as fast as we could!" Trini put a comforting hand on Billy's shoulder, looking him over for obvious injuries.

"I'm fine… It was his breath…" Billy heaved again, but nothing came out.

"His breath?" Kimberly asked, looking disgusted.

"It smelled like dead, rotting things. That monster eats humans." Billy explained, finally in control of himself. As soon as his vision cleared, he looked around the small neighborhood again, searching for the clown.

"He's gone, Billy, don't worry…" Trini's voice had a condescending edge to it, which only aggravated Billy all the more. He slammed his fist into the road, biting back a cuss word.

"He got away again! What is it going to take to catch this thing?"

Kimberly shook her head and shrugged, still looking concerned. "I don't know. But the news station was a total bust. They hadn't heard anything and ended up grilling _us_ for details, which we of course couldn't give. It's a long story; basically, we bombed."

"He's going after kids. The ones from this local daycare especially; they're perfect targets. I don't know how many he's already gotten; maybe he didn't get any at all. But he's still out there, looking for more kids." Billy summed up. He climbed to his feet and dusted himself off, looking incredibly angry.

"Maybe we should call…" Kimberly started to speak, but she was interrupted by three flashes of color, and suddenly they were in the command center looking at Zordon.

It was disorienting, to say the least, and Kimberly was still talking as the teleportation happened.

"…Jason!" She jumped a little as she realized she was face to face with him now and Zack as well. The five of them were in the small ring of computer consoles, all looking confused.

"Or maybe not." Trini laughed. "What's happening, Zordon?"

The large, white, blurred face looked at each of them in turn before speaking, while Alpha remained frozen in place. "Rangers! We've been monitoring the situation and we know about Rita's monster."

"That thing is trying to kidnap kids; we stopped him twice already, but…" Kimberly was interrupted by Alpha, who moved for the first time since they'd arrived.

"Not trying. Succeeding. He has already captured ten children."

All five of the teenagers' faces fell as they heard it. Jason especially looked furious, and turned to Zordon quickly.

"We don't know where this clown is or how to stop him; please tell me you do?"

"Alpha and I have managed to track Atir's teleportation; we have a general location for his lair. The kidnapped children will be there as well." Zordon answered calmly.

"Can you teleport us there? I have a score to settle." Billy said darkly. The rest of them nodded in unison, all eager to put an end to the monster.

"We can indeed. Morph here, and Alpha will teleport you as close as he can. Go, Rangers, and may the power protect you!"

"Understood." Jason said stiffly. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the red glowing orb quickly. "It's morphing time!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Saber Tooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

The feeling of the metallic armor emerging from their skin was unsettling, and the feeling of being teleported at the same time was downright sickening. The five of them felt their bodies being warped, twisted, and transformed, all while being pulled across a vast region of space. Jason would have thrown up if his stomach had been in one piece.

After an almost agonizing trip, the Rangers landed in a desert valley, fully morphed and ready for action. Amazingly, they'd landed on their feet. Jason scanned their surroundings as he tried to think up a plan.

They were in some sort of desert valley far to the south of Angel Grove; there was no sign of human life anywhere. You would have thought that they'd traveled back to the Old West; a horse drawn carriage wouldn't have looked out of place. Brown, sun baked rocks clawed up at the sky, dust swirled at their feet, and burnt patches of grass and brush were scattered here and there.

They had been transported into a small 'valley', really just a break in the jagged landscape a few yards wide. A large mountain loomed to their right, and a canyon could be seen straight ahead.

"Okay, Kimberly, get in the air. Scout the area and see if you can find any sign of that clown. Trini, head for the canyon and use your stealth to check out any spots that Kimberly can't see. Billy, Zack, we'll head over that ridge." Jason ordered over the radio. Kimberly nodded and unfolded her jet-like wings; a blast of hot air later, she was airborne. Trini vanished from sight, her camouflage working even better in the natural environment.

Billy and Zack followed along as Jason led the way forward. They were all on edge; the desert could have hidden an army of Putties or clowns. The dust and rocks crunched under their metal boots as the three boys pressed onward.

"I'm thinking that clown thing's probably got those kids in a cave around here." Zack said after a while, sounding utterly sure of himself.

"What makes you say that?" Billy asked, nervously looking over his shoulder as his visor picked up movement. A disturbed lizard skittered across a rock and vanished into a crevice.

"Bad guys and caves go together like beaches and hot girls. Besides, I don't care how inhuman this clown is; it's freaking hot out here. My visor says it's close to a hundred degrees and we're in the middle of September! No one would last long out in the open sun." Zack argued, hopping over a small ledge.

Jason watched as Kimberly drifted almost lazily above them. Her wings were catching updrafts easily; she barely used her jetpack at all. Trini was long gone; he had no earthly idea where she'd vanished to.

"Can you see anything?" Jason asked, directing the question to Kimberly.

"Not much, no. There's a cave at the end of that canyon that Trini's checking out, but I don't see anything else interesting."

"Well, you can see me, can't you?" Zack asked in his best 'charming' voice. Jason glared at him from under his helmet, while Billy laughed.

Kimberly's voice sounded more tired than charmed. "Dream on, Zack."

"Guys? It's Trini; I think I found something. There are a lot of foot prints leading up to the mouth of this cave."

"We're on our way. Kimberly, you might want to come down; I doubt there'll be much room to fly." Jason suggested. The cave Trini had found was below and to the right of the boys, so they just jumped over the edge.

The metal suits weighed several tons apiece; when the three of them hit the sand below, there was an audible 'thump' and a cloud of dust was stirred up. It drifted across Trini's camouflaged form, which was crouched down near the entrance to the cave. Kimberly dove down and landed gracefully a second later.

"Man I love flying…" Kimberly said excitedly. Her wings folded away on some hidden command, and she walked over to the rest of the group.

"Rub it in, why don't you? You get to fly while the rest of us walk." Zack complained.

"Sorry Zack; I'm an old fashioned girl. I believe the men should do the walking while the girls fly around on jet packs." Kimberly said in an almost sweet tone. Trini's head shot around, as if she was annoyed, but she said nothing.

The five of them grew silent as the realization hit that they were going to have to enter a dark cave, looking for a terrifying clown. Jason slowly led the way, after whipping out his sword and setting his visor to infra-red. The rest followed suit, each timidly following Jason down the dark interior of the cave.

Sand lined the floor, while brown rocks reached over their head to form a small tunnel in the sandstone. It was only about five and a half feet in height; Jason and Zack had to walk scrunched over to fit inside. From what Billy had seen of the clown, it would have had to practically crawl on all fours to get through.

No one spoke and little noise was made as they slowly advanced down the tunnel. It quickly became apparent that there was a chamber ahead; a sharp left turn and a large gap in the rocks was only a few feet in front of them. The mouth of the tunnel was still visible behind them; they'd only come fifteen yards from the outside.

"Ready guys?" Jason asked over his radio. He tensed up and gave his sword an experimental swing as he spoke. The other four nodded quickly, and they jumped around the corner into the chamber beyond.

The sight that met their eyes was horrifying. Dozens of metal cages lined the walls, each one holding a child. At the sight of the Rangers, they all screamed at once. Some were screaming in fear, others for help. In the center of the room, a large stone table jutted out of the sand, with a flat top and four chains embedded into the base.

But the worst part was the figure behind the apparent altar. The clown was back, hunched over a cage with a long stone knife, snarling savagely at the teens.

"I told you to leave me alone!"


	8. Clownzilla

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

Everyone froze at the sight of Atir. Even the children stopped screaming; you could have heard a pin drop. And then everything exploded in chaos.

Jason leapt forward and slashed at the clown's head, bellowing orders as he struck.

"Zack! Kimberly! Get these kids out of here! Billy, Trini, help me with this thing!"

Jason's sword hit the stone knife in Atir's hands before deflecting away harmlessly. Atir backhanded the Ranger, sending him flying against the far wall as Trini and Billy charged in.

Kimberly and Zack were busily hacking open cages and pulling out children when Atir gave an order of his own.

"Five on one isn't fair! How about five on twenty?" As the monster spoke, the sounds of Putties running echoed down the tunnel.

"New plan. You guys fight your way out; this one is _mine_." Billy snarled. He whipped out his lance, snapped it together, and stood menacingly in front of Atir. Jason hesitated for a split second before nodding.

"Trini, you and I will clear the way; Zack, Kimberly, get those kids moving in this direction!" Jason leapt to his feet and drove his sword into a Putty's chest. The squirming parasite died and putty splattered everywhere.

Trini rolled forward under Jason's arm and stabbed up with enough force to send more Putty's flying back. She pulled her daggers free at the last second before assuming a fighting pose and nodding to Jason.

Jason spun around, sliced over Trini's head, and cut another Putty clean in half. Trini dodged around it and attacked another group, with Jason right behind her. The sounds of splattering putty and howling screams echoed down the tunnel as the two disappeared from sight.

Kimberly and Zack didn't bother with the locks; the dog kennels were thin enough to cut right through. Zack used his Ax to 'open' the cages one by one while Kimberly scooped each child up and out, trying to calm them as she did. In seconds they had all ten of the captives free.

But the real spectacle was Billy, fighting with Atir. The chamber they were standing in was much taller than the tunnel; both combatants could stand up easily. Billy was almost artistic in his attacks; he stabbed his lance down into the clown's foot before punching him in the face, grabbing him by the hair and kneeing him in the mouth. With a quick spin, he jerked his lance free and brought it in a devastating arc back to the clown's chest. Atir flew backwards into the wall, black blood dripping out of his wounds. Billy stood absolutely still, his lance still poised in the air.

"Now I'm getting angry!" Atir snarled in rage as he jumped up, flailing his arms wildly at Billy. Each attack was blocked by Billy's cold, quick movements.

"Zack, what's the holdup?" Jason demanded over the radio. Both he and Kimberly had been watching Billy in amazement, forgetting the children at their feet.

"Nothing, on our way now!" Zack picked up two of the smaller children while Kimberly herded the rest for the door. They all ran willingly enough as the sounds of the battle behind them echoed around the walls.

As soon as they hit the open air, the four Rangers gathered the children in a circle.

"Zordon, this is Jason, we've got all ten kids out. Can you transport them back to the city?" Jason asked quickly.

"Yes, Rangers. But beware; Rita's monster will not give up so easily." Zordon warned as the children vanished. All ten were enveloped in a red glow before being transported away.

"I don't know, Billy seems pretty mad, I think he's got this…" Kimberly stopped short as Billy's armored form was _thrown_ out of the cave, and landed at her feet.

"I don't got this…" Billy moaned. His lance bounced out behind him, and lodged itself in the sand. Zack helped him to his feet while the other Rangers stood ready at the cave's mouth.

All of a sudden, a booming voice practically shook the ground beneath their feet.

" **You took my toys…"**

A huge cracking sound filled the air, and the cave mouth started to collapse.

" **You're making me very, very, angry!"**

The cracking sound multiplied as the entire canyon shook. The cave utterly collapsed on itself as a strange form rose out of the splintered rock. With a shock, the Rangers realized what was happening. Atir was growing.

In seconds the cave was gone, and a monstrous, twenty-story-tall clown stretched up into the sky.

"Zordon… We've got a problem…" Jason said under his breath as he watched the spectacle unfolding. When no response came, he got even more nervous.

"Guys, scatter!" Jason shouted, jumping aside as a giant foot loomed in the sky. All five of them ran in different directions as the clown's boot stomped the dirt where they'd been standing.

" **Hold still!"** Atir boomed, his ugly face even more horrifying now that it was the size of a billboard.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Zack demanded, still on the move as Atir aimed his foot again.

"Kim! Get in the air! Aim for his eyes, maybe we can blind him!" Jason shouted. Kimberly obeyed instantly, more than willing to be in the air. Her jetpack spit fire, and she was away.

"Zack! Head for his ankles! Try and hamstring him!"

Zack stopped running long enough to sigh and shake his head. He gripped his Ax a little tighter and charged forward, dodging another colossal blow from Atir.

"Trini, Billy, with me!" Jason jumped up and led the other two Rangers straight for the clown, hopping over rocks and boulders as the shadow of the giant shoe loomed overhead.

* * *

"Zordon! They'll be killed!" Alpha complained, his scanners glued to the viewing globe.

Zordon nodded ominously as he watched the battle unfold. Kimberly fired bolt after bolt into Atir's eyes, but they were all swatted away with a giant hand. Zack's Ax wasn't cutting through the tough skin of the clown's leg; try as he might, it was like trying to chop down a redwood with a pocket knife.

"It seems we have no choice. Whether the Rangers are ready or not, they must use the Zords. Alpha, contact Jason!"

* * *

Right as Jason was thrown off of Atir's hairy foot, the communication came through. He leaned on his sword as he listened to Zordon's voice. His eyes grew wider as the information on his visor scrolled across, and the full realization of what Zordon was saying hit him.

"Guys, fall back! Fall back to that mountain!" Jason ordered. Kimberly narrowly dodged another swipe, Zack jerked his Ax free, and the rest of them all ran at top speed for the mountain Jason had pointed at.

"Zordon just downloaded something onto my visor; take a look at this!" He explained as they all came to a stop. They were standing in a circle on top of a small mountain overlooking the valley; they were now at knee level with Atir.

A red glow shone from between Jason's fingers, and his power coin appeared out of no where. He clutched it tightly in his fist, before raising his hand in the air.

"We need Dinozord power, now!"

The earth shook beneath their feet, thunder boomed in the sky, and Atir stopped his tantrum long enough to look down at the Rangers below him. The rumbling grew louder, and louder, until all of the Rangers realized what was coming. The details zoomed across their visors as each one recognized their Zords.

From a dark cavern deep beneath the earth, a massive machine rumbled to life. Its tail was long and thick, its claws were sharp enough to cut steel, and its jaw was clenched in anticipation. The Tyrannosaurus' eyes lit up, and it slowly clawed its way out of its ancient resting place. Red light filled the cavern as the teleportation started.

Desert sands stirred and parted as a dark shape moved under the dunes. First one point, then two, then three clawed up from the bowels of the earth as a blue shape came to life. Armor plates covered its sides, razor sharp horns tipped its head, and mighty tank treads propelled it forward. Blue light illuminated the desert as the Triceratops was brought into the battle.

Ice and snow were blown aside as the black mass of metal shattered its frozen prison. Great steel tusks brushed aside glaciers, and a powerful trunk rose into the air defiantly. Black armor shed its icy coat; deep set eyes glared out into the sky while treads the size of school buses crunched on the ice. Black light engulfed the Zord, and the Mastodon was whisked away.

Deep in the jungle, birds took to the air and monkeys swung through the canopy away from the force of nature tearing through the trees. A lightning fast shape streaked past, as four long legs tore through the jungle soil. A flash of fangs, a glimpse of yellow armor, and a quick shot of a long tail was all anyone could see. As the form leapt off of a tall cliff, yellow light scooped up the Saber Toothed Tiger, dragging it far from its home.

Far out into the ocean, a volcano erupted, sending lava and ash soaring into the air. The air split as a new shape rose through the debris; two wings cut the thick ash easily. As it finally reached the open air, the jet-like aircraft leveled out, it's long neck and head working the layers of rock and dirt loose. A loud screech pierced the sky, and a pink light snatched the Pterodactyl away.

* * *

As the Zords were brought to the battleground, the Rangers were teleported inside. Each one landed in an ancient seat, with controls surrounding them. Plate glass windows gave them a view of the air around them as each Zord arrived.

"Alright! Everyone check in!" Jason ordered, plugging his Red power coin into a waiting slot. The controls came to life, and the great machine seemed to respond to his very thoughts.

"Mastodon ready to roll!"

"Triceratops is online and operational!"

"Saber Toothed Tiger, ready for action!"

"Pterodactyl, flying high! Jason these things are awesome!" Kimberly practically squealed. They all engaged their power coins, and the five Zords roared to life.

"Yes they are. Now let's send this clown back to the circus!" Jason jammed his control lever forward, and the Tyrannosaurus leapt forward.

"Zack, get between the clown and the city! Make sure it doesn't wander too far. Kimberly, keep any air traffic away from here and try to lay down cover fire! Billy, start working on how we're going to bring this thing down! Trini, you and I are going tear him apart!" Jason concentrated on the hideous face in front of him, urging his Zord onward.

The Mastodon rumbled into position, creating a massive force field between Angel Grove and the monster. Light seemed to fizzle and die in the curtain of energy the Zord was creating. Atir wasn't getting away without a fight.

The Pterodactyl zoomed overhead at the speed of sound, blasting out warnings on radio frequencies for miles around. A passenger jet high above them veered away as it saw and heard the warning. As the Zord came back around, giant barrels protruded from the fixed wings, and a staccato of machine gun fire peppered Atir's back.

The Triceratops rolled into place behind the monster, locking onto it with all of its sensors and scanners. Both its pilot and its supercomputer of a brain analyzed the data, desperately searching for a weak spot.

The Saber Toothed Tiger leapt from the ground all the way up to Atir's throat, clawing and biting its way up. Massive fangs gouged deep in the clown's neck, while rending claws tore into the chest and stomach. Black fluid gushed out of Atir's screaming form as they both went down. But as the Rangers watched, Atir threw the smaller Zord off and rose to his feet again.

Now it was the Tyrannosaurus' turn. It ran forward, tail swinging and arms flailing, until it hit Atir at full speed. Its thick plated skull rammed into the clown, knocking him back a step. With surprising speed, the Zord whirled around and used its tail to sweep Atir completely off his feet. The ground shook yet again as the monster landed hard, snarling in rage.

" **I'm going to put you all in the zoo!"**

"Jason, I've got something!" Billy suddenly shouted. "This thing is built just like a Putty! There's a giant parasite in his spine; destroy it and he'll be history!"

"That'd be fine if I could get at his spine!" Jason snapped back. Atir had rolled to his feet, dodged another round of attacks, and kicked the T-Rex in the 'ribs'. Jason's Zord was sent to the ground, hard. He grabbed Trini's Tiger by the tail and slammed it into the ground before grabbing it by the neck.

" **Bad kitty!"**

"Guys, my hull is buckling! His fingers are tearing through the armor!" Trini shouted.

Billy's fingers flew across the keyboard as he accessed the right system. "Hold on! I've got him!"

Twin harpoons shot out of the Triceratops' horns, spearing Atir in the shoulders. Long lines snaked back into the now empty sockets, and Billy threw the Zord into reverse. The lines grew taught as Atir was pulled off balance, and he dropped Trini's Zord to steady himself.

"I always hated clowns…" Kimberly growled as she came in low. Her guns fired again as the fiery bullets ripped into Atir's chest.

"Let's cool this puppy down…" Zack fired his Zord's trunk at Atir's stumbling form, and ice covered the monster from head to toe. He froze almost solid and stiffened up immensely.

"I see an opening! Here we go!" Jason charged forward again, the Zord's jaws opening wide as he approached the giant's torso. Titanium teeth ripped into frozen flesh, and the gaping jaws snapped shut in a second. With a horrendous tearing sound, the Tyrannosaurus retreated with its prize: a gigantic, white, twitching parasite with black blood oozing out around the Zord's fangs.

" **Oh no…"**

Atir screamed as his body turned to gray slime, which soon washed over the trampled desert in waves.

"Yes! We did it!" Jason shouted, relief flooding over him. His friends all shouted into the radio in excitement as they watched Atir's dissolve in front of them.

But as the five Rangers celebrated, far away on the red planet a dark figure groaned in fury. As she brushed her long nails across the dark globe, she hissed a threat to herself.

" _You will pay for that, Power Rangers!"_


	9. Friends and Enemies

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

There was once a time when peace reigned over the Earth, the moon, and every star in the sky. A mighty empire ruled all of the known cosmos; from Sol and it's planets to the far reaches of the galaxy.

There was once a time when a young woman aspired to be great. She was smart; brilliant beyond all her peers. Wise beyond her years. Beautiful beyond all description. She was raised in the largest city by the most caring of parents. She was educated in the best school in all the empire. She was betrothed to the prince of Earth; a mighty warrior who led armies against the empire's foes.

There was once a time when Rita Repulsa was a good woman; a decent human, and the envy of all others. But that time had passed. The Dark Crone; the Wicked Witch; the Fallen Lady… her titles were many. Her face was well known. Her reputation proceeded her. She was the scourge of the galaxy and the fear of all men.

She sat alone in her fortress, her rage and hatred swirling around her like a great storm. Dusty floors and cobwebbed ceilings stood around her; the blackened walls enclosed her. She was utterly alone.

Four large computer consoles sat around her. They formed a ring around a large pedestal; one she hadn't dared to approach in ten thousand years. Beyond the ring of computers was a large globe; with it, Rita could watch the entire Earth and all its denizens.

In the room beyond was a massive spawning ground; the insidious Malumbra beetles scurried about in the dark, eager to be housed in slime and be reborn as Rita's personal guardsmen. The alpha Malumbras sat above the rest; larger and darker then their brethren, they had the potential to become her generals and monsters.

But Rita was still alone. Her armies were gone, her enemies were far away, and her family was dead. She was responsible for her family's death. She had watched as her friends were imprisoned. And she had let her enemies become so bold. It was her fault, and she knew it.

But Rita had never been one to wallow. Rising from her dusty throne, she walked slowly across the room. Her long black robes left a trail in the dust as she moved, and her golden jewelry tinkled together. Her long hood covered her face, and as she stopped, she reached up with her ancient hands to let it fall.

Long, white-gray hair fell around her shoulders, past her scarred face. Deep pits and gashes marred her once lovely image; now, even the Malumbra's recoiled at the sight of her. Her eyes, forever stained red with blood, looked up at the pedestal before her.

One last time, she reached up with her withered hands to touch the bright green orb at eye level. And once again, she recoiled in pain as the shock coursed through her.

She cursed to herself and withdrew her hand, staring longingly at the Power Coin just out of reach. Her DNA had been programmed into the security measure, and try as she might, she couldn't crack it.

The answer to all her problems was right in front of her, so close, and yet so far…

* * *

Jason had a lot on his mind. Saving the world; leaning to use ancient weapons and vehicles that he controlled with his mind. Keeping his new friends safe. Fighting off an alien invasion. And now, worst of all, what to wear for the first day of school.

School had been delayed, postponed, and almost cancelled altogether before finally being opened. Jason was going to his sophomore year of high school, like it or not. He had a driver's license, he had a car, and he had a few friends. He knew people who would cut off their right leg to have those things. But Jason would have traded anything to have what those people had. A normal life.

Being a hero wasn't so bad. Finally finding a way to burn off steam by pummeling alien monsters was pretty nice. But constantly looking over his shoulder? Lying to his mother? Endangering everyone he knew and loved just because another alien named Zordon had decided he was some chosen hero? It had all hit Jason at once that his life was over.

How do you go to college when you have to teleport out of a lecture to fight off another alien invasion? How do you hold down a job when you have to keep running out to save people's lives? How do you have a normal relationship, a wife and kids, when they're in danger because of you?

Jason looked into his closet again, his eyes glazing over as the thoughts rolled around in his head. He snorted decisively and yanked out a few things before throwing them on his bed.

He couldn't wear his favorite tennis shoes; they still had putty guts on them he'd yet to scrape off. He couldn't wear the brown leather jacket because people had seen him wearing it when he'd fought off the Putty army on the highway. He couldn't wear his normal pair of black jeans for the same reason. He'd combed his hair differently hoping to throw off any would-be Ranger hunters, but the fact of the matter was, Jason was now a wanted man. People would wonder who the Rangers were. The fact that he'd been seen fighting the aliens earlier that week wouldn't help his case.

He finally threw on an old pair of blue jeans, a black tee shirt and a red sweatshirt. It was getting colder every day and he was kicking himself for being seen in his heaviest jacket; he'd have to buy another one soon.

He told his mother goodbye and wolfed down a quick breakfast before heading out to his car. The child-snatching clown case hadn't hit the news yet, and his mother had to work that morning; otherwise she'd have driven him to school herself. Being dropped off at school when you're sixteen isn't exactly fun, but Jason was sure he'd see a lot of concerned parents walking their kids up to the front door today.

His car was a fairly old Jeep something-or-other; he and his dad had been restoring it before he died. Jason loved the old thing almost more than life itself; it ran great and hit like a truck. He'd thought he'd be safe if he was in an accident before; now he was glad he could hit a Putty and keep driving if necessary. Oh, how his life had changed…

As Jason pulled up into the school parking lot, he took a quick look around. Before, he'd been looking for old friends or new girls. Now, he was looking for threats. Teenagers were wandering around on the front lawn of the school, some heading inside and some not. A few buses had pulled and were offloading their kids, but there were still a few more that had yet to arrive.

Getting off of one bus was Billy. He had his head down and sweatshirt hood up, trying to look invisible. It was working; Jason barely spotted him. Billy had always been one of those people; the kind you didn't remember meeting but somehow always knew. He didn't stand out, he didn't leave an impression, and he wasn't very memorable. Jason had known _of_ him for years; he'd only just recently known him personally.

And yet that camouflage now worked to his advantage. Billy could wander into a crowd and be lost in a second; Jason couldn't walk past ten people without five of them recognizing him and waving.

And then there was Zack. Zack lived close enough to school that he just walked every day. Jason had offered more than a few times to give him a ride, but he'd always refused for reasons of his own.

Before Jason knew what he was going to do, Zack ran up from beside him and pounced on his shoulders, practically jumping into Jason's arms.

"Jason! What's up man?" Zack grinned, giving his shoulder a playful punch.

"Just trying to keep a low profile." Jason answered coldly. Zack rolled his eyes and started walking.

"Right, right… Got to keep our day job a secret. I get it. I don't want anyone knocking on my door, you don't want anyone knocking on yours. My lips are sealed, old buddy." Zack made a big show of 'zipping' his lips as he spoke.

"What the heck are you guys talking about?"

Both of them froze as someone walking behind the two boys spoke up. Jason didn't dare turn around; options for escape and denial popped into his head. He was about to run for the roll of duct tape in his car when Zack came to the rescue.

"We're movie stars. Or we will be. Just got hooked up in a new movie outside of L.A. and we don't want screaming fans knocking down our doors. Comprende?" Zack asked, shooting the kid a confident look. The smaller boy gave Zack a weird look and continued on his way while Jason finally let out his breath.

"You are way too good at lying."

"Is that good or bad?" Zack asked sincerely, walking beside Jason again.

"I don't know anymore."

* * *

Trini had always biked to school before, but Kimberly had insisted that they stick together. So instead of a quiet, peaceful ride down the small hill she lived on, Trini had the privilege of riding with _the_ Kimberly Hart. She heard secrets and stories that any guy in school would have killed to know, and in the process, begged whatever higher power was listening to kill her quickly.

"So then I was like 'no way', and she swore on like her life that it was true, and I was like 'no way!' and she was still like positive that it worked! I mean, who knew mayonnaise could get rid of that?" Kimberly asked rhetorically. Trini rested her head on her hand and shrugged.

"I don't even like it on sandwiches."

Kimberly laughed far too loudly and almost hit a kid on a bike. "That's funny! You're funny Trini. Way funnier than me. We should hang out more!"

"Watch the road!" Trini shot out a hand and jerked the steering wheel to the right, keeping them on the pavement.

"Oh, whoops…" She corrected the last bit herself and flicked her hair out of her eyes. "If only we could fly to school, right?"

"If only." Trini wished. They finally made the last turn to the school, and Trini's heart soared at the idea of Algebra and History; anything but the near deadly ride with Kimberly.

"So, uh, how do I look?" Kimberly stopped the car and looked up into the mirror, nervously fidgeting with her hair.

Trini watched for her a second before coming to a startling realization. Kimberly has human after all. "Who's the guy?"

Kimberly pursed her lips and looked down before answering. "Promise you won't tell?"

"No."

"Okay I'll tell you anyway! It's Jason, alright? Problem is, he won't look twice at me." Kimberly said dejectedly. She searched through the crowd, looking for the boy in question, while Trini stared in wonder.

"You could have any guy in a ten mile radius from this school, and you're nervous about talking to this one guy in particular?" Trini asked solemnly.

"Well yeah! Wouldn't you be?"

"Hi there."

Both girls jumped as Billy spoke up from behind a bus. He'd been there the whole time, but neither girl had seen him.

"Billy! What are you doing?" Kimberly snapped, blushing furiously.

"Nothing, I was just…"

"Eavesdropping! Not cool, and super creepy! Besides, if we're going to keep you-know-what a secret, shouldn't we, you know, not hang out together?" Kimberly snarled.

Billy got a strange look in his eye, like he'd just had a question answered, before walking off. He put his hood up and didn't say a word, disappearing into the crowd again in seconds.

"Man! He's so weird!" Kimberly said with a huff, getting out of the car quickly.

"I don't think so. I think he's just lonely." Trini said far more carefully. Her voice had a sympathetic edge to it, which Kimberly immediately noticed.

"He's a dork, Trini! He wears nasty clothes, he hangs out behind buses, and if he's really so lonely, why doesn't he hang out with people? I have plenty of friends; he could make a few too!"

"It's not always that simple." Trini said with an air of finality. She grabbed her bag and walked away, with Kimberly looking utterly confused.


	10. Wrath of Billy

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

After a long and boring session of placement tests and class scheduling, lunch finally came along. The school's cafeteria had thankfully been evacuated and cleaned out; the flow of refugees was starting to abate and more and more people were leaving the different shelters. There was still plenty of confusion and drama for the survivors of San Francisco to deal with, but it was getting easier.

Several dozen new students had been put into their high school; none seemed overly thrilled about having to deal with school right after losing their homes. The idea was that the return to normalcy would help them cope.

The large group of new kids stuck to themselves for the most part; one corner of the cafeteria was practically set aside for them. It wasn't officially theirs, but there was an invisible line in the sand that no one but a survivor crossed.

Their island of solitude fit in with the others, though. There was the 'popular girl' crowd sitting nearby, where Kimberly had immediately gravitated towards. A miserable Trini had been dragged along and looked ready to rip someone's head off.

Jason and Zack hadn't joined any group, but one formed around them regardless. The loud and obnoxious jocks all huddled around Jason and Zack, who were trying to look and act normal. Zack had no trouble fitting in; he never stopped talking and rolled with any blow that came. Jason just sat quietly and occasionally corrected his friend on the details of some of the stories Zack insisted on telling.

And then there was Billy. There was a nerdy, tech-friendly crowd, but Billy didn't fit in there. Angel Grove was Silicon Valley's twin; everyone was fairly wealthy and computers were everywhere. The nerdy guys spent their time talking about the newest smart phone, the latest apps, and the highest quality video card to hit the market. Billy didn't have any of that and could barely keep up with some of the child prodigies there. So he sat alone, on the other end of the room.

There was really only one table that was empty; unfortunately, it was right next to jock territory. Billy didn't care enough to maneuver around the border-line bullies that day, so he plopped down on the end pretty carelessly. He set his tray of chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese down and dug in heartily. It was a school lunch, which meant the quality was just above what the third-world-countries ate during the winter. But if you can't have quality, at least get quantity, and that's what Billy was after.

But it wasn't meant to be. First one guy noticed Billy, then another, and soon four or five of the guys sitting at Jason's table turned to watch Billy. They were huge, but they didn't have to be. Arrogance and confidence were what made good bullies; size wasn't that important.

"Hey dork!" One of them said, fairly quietly. Billy honestly didn't hear him; 'dork' wasn't a unique insult and there were a lot of loud conversations going on nearby.

"I said hey, dork!" This time he was louder, and Billy realized he was the dork in question.

"What?"

"You're in my spot!"

Billy knew immediately that this was going to be trouble. The guy was sitting at another table, had plenty of room, and was almost done eating. There was no logical reason to assume Billy had anything the jock wanted.

The guy jumped up and walked boldly up to Billy, standing a little too close for comfort. "Move."

It was a simple order, and Billy hadn't even been grabbed or shoved around yet. He considered his options, but ended up sliding a little farther down the table. It should have stopped there. 'Should' being the key word.

"That's my spot too. Keep moving." The was laughing now, and so were his friends. He actually shoved Billy's shoulder now, so Billy moved down the table farther. Out of curiosity, he stole a glance at Jason and Zack.

"What, you think those guys are going to protect you? You think you're friends?" The bully had seen Billy's glance and pounced on him without hesitation. He shoved Billy harder, who just kept sliding down the long bench. Jason and Zack didn't even make eye contact.

"Keep going! You're still in my spot, dork!"

Billy kept moving and the bully kept shoving, until finally Billy tripped over a support in the bench, and fell off the end of the table. His lunch spilled all over the floor, and he was only half done. Because of Billy's family 'situation', he was part of a special program at the school that let him eat for free. But he only got the one free lunch a day, and he was still hungry.

People were laughing at him now, and the bully looked like he'd done something spectacular. A giant grin was plastered on his face as he watched Billy get up.

"Whoops, watch where you're going, klutz!"

Billy's heart was pounding and his face was bright red. He forced himself to walk away, telling himself over and over again it wasn't worth it. The bully isn't worth it. The detention wasn't worth it.

And then the guy slammed a huge hand down on Billy's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. All at once, Billy decided it was worth it.

"Don't walk away from me…" He never got the chance to finish. Billy elbowed his ribs, grabbed his hand, and elbowed his chin all in an instant. With a quick sidestep, he got behind the bully and slammed his face down into the table. He was stunned enough to fall back, against a trash can.

No one was laughing now. Billy walked forward, enjoying the look of terror on the other boy's face. When he was close enough to reach, Billy snatched the trash can up and jammed it down onto the kid's head. When he tried to get up and run, Billy did a field-goal style kick to his butt, which sent him flying towards the door.

Out of no where, Jason and Zack grabbed him and pulled him back, the principle appeared almost out of thin air, and the entire room fell silent.

"What is going on here?" Mrs. Rodriguez was a short, Latino woman who had no tolerance for any rule breaking, anywhere. People who had never met her feared the woman.

"That kid just attacked me! He went crazy and started pounding my face in!" The bully screamed, still wiping the garbage off of his face. The school's security guard hauled him to his feet and looked to the principle for orders.

"Really? For no reason he just snapped and attacked you?" Mrs. Rodriguez said skeptically.

"Yeah!"

"Farkas Bulkmeier; but you prefer Bulk, right?"

The bully nodded somewhat sullenly.

"Bulk, you are one of the most annoying and obnoxious bullies in my school. You were in my office every week last year, and I had to hire this lovely security guard here because of complaints from parents about _you_. Do not lie to me and tell me this was unprovoked." Mrs. Rodriguez' stare told anyone who was watching that this wasn't up for debate. She was only five foot tall, but more intimidating than a line of advancing soldiers in a war zone.

"Go get cleaned up and we'll discuss this in my office. I also put in these lovely things called 'security cameras' during the summer. I'm sure it'll be a very interesting movie to watch with your parents." Rodriguez smiled icily as Bulk paled and went limp. He was dragged off by the security guard while the principle turned to Billy.

"Billy Cranston; this is your first offense and I don't think it was unprovoked, but why don't you go cool off too. Next time this conversation will go a lot differently. Understood?"

Billy nodded politely and headed for the door. He jerked out of Jason and Zack's grip, which was slightly numb after the principle appeared. No one stopped him as he headed for the front lawn.

"Whoa… since when can Billy fight like that?" Kimberly demanded, almost whispering to Trini as they watched the scene unfold.

"Since… the incident. I noticed it too; we seem to be stronger now." Trini explained in the same whispered tone.

"Well yeah, but he knew some actual moves. Muscles weren't the only things that sent Bulk running scared!" Kimberly argued.

"Billy plays a lot of video games, right? Maybe all those parents were right about them making you violent." Trini was only half serious, but Kimberly seemed to buy it.

"Whatever. I guess we don't want to be on the little weirdo's bad side."

* * *

The little weirdo in question sat down on the short grass and tried to slow his breathing. Beating the snot out of Bulk had been somewhat of a dream of his; actually doing it was far less satisfying than he'd thought. His only regret now was that Bulk was still breathing.

But as he thought more and calmed down, he realized that wasn't true. He didn't want anyone dead; not even Bulk. But as he was lashing out, logic and values didn't seem to register. He was now strong enough to literally tear the other kids apart; he needed to

control himself better in the future.

As he sat in silence, mulling over the fight again, someone sat down beside him.

"Hey there. This seat taken?"

The voice was Australian, and most importantly, feminine. Billy looked up at the brown haired girl as she sat down beside him.

"Not really a seat, but no, it's not taken." Billy answered dryly.

"Fair point. So what's going on? Sounded like there was a brawl in there." The girl asked, nodding back towards the cafeteria.

"There was. Long story."

The girl wasn't gorgeous; not a super model or an actress, but she was pretty. Her long brown hair was wavy and hanging loose around her bare shoulders. She was wearing a worn tank top and had a sweatshirt tied around her waist. Desert camouflage pants and combat boots completed her odd look.

"Sounds interesting. First day of school in a new city and I miss out on the brawl; that's a bad omen if ever there was one!" The girl said with a laugh.

"New city, or new country?"

"Ah, noticed the accent did you?" She smiled. "Actually I've been in the States for about a year; people tell me the accent's starting to wear off. I'm from Frisco, or what's left of it anyway."

"I'm sorry. That must have been rough." Billy said politely. He had no idea why the girl was talking to him; usually girls his age were busy trying to figure out what species of rodent he was.

"Well yeah, kind of. To be honest I was out camping with my mom with we missed the whole thing. Our house was hit by an asteroid and we missed it by _that_ much." She held up to fingers to demonstrate.

"Technically your house was hit by a tidal wave; the meteorite hit the water in the bay." Billy corrected.

"Oh, thank you, I wouldn't want to be incorrect on the details of a natural disaster!" She laughed. Billy blushed and started to apologize.

"No don't, please. I've spent close to a week having everyone go, 'we're so sorry' and 'it must be so hard' and 'I feel so bad for you'… It's nice talking to someone who has the guts to say the word 'meteorite' out loud." Her tone grew more serious as she spoke and her blue eyes went a little misty.

 _Its nice talking to someone at all…_ Billy thought to himself. "If you're going to eat lunch, you might want to do it soon. We only get half an hour to eat before the next class starts." Billy suggested mildly. He kicked himself when he realized he'd practically asked her to leave, but thankfully she didn't move.

"Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me." She had a huge brown bag on her shoulder which she started rummaging through as Billy spoke. In a second she pulled out a sandwich, a burrito, a container of fruit salad, two bottles of water, and several bags of chips.

"Please take some of this. My mom was like 'It's a new school and a strange place; you have to keep your strength up!' I told her it's high school, not the front lines of World War Three!" She joked, arranging the small mountain of food between them.

"Seriously, please take some of this. If I bring anything back she makes me sleep in the yard."

Billy stared at her for a second as the mock seriousness faded into a smile. There was no pity in her eyes, which made Billy want to jump for joy.

"Well, to save you from sleeping you in the yard, then." He answered, taking a burrito and pretending to toast her with it. She returned the gesture with the sandwich and they both started eating.

"Well, it's not so much the yard as the tent and camping stuff I refuse to take down."

"Sounds like you enjoy camping." Billy observed, suddenly self conscious of his vampire-like skin tone. Hers was golden brown and healthy looking.

"Oh yeah. My dad and I used to go camping a lot back in Brisbane. Now it's just my mom and me, but we make it work."

"Your dad died?" Billy asked cautiously.

"Worse. He went to prison after killing three cops in an armed robbery." She said it so off-handedly that she might as well have been describing the weather. Billy didn't know what to say, so he didn't say much.

"That sounds rough."

"It was. But my family's always been like that. You can trace my family tree all the way back to Botany Bay; back when it was a prison colony. Pretty sweet story for show and tell, right?" She laughed.

"No one picks their family." Billy said thoughtfully. She nodded sagely, and they were both silent for a while.

"So, are all Australians like this? I mean tanned and fit and everything? I've yet to see an ugly Aussie." Billy asked jokingly. It came out as a backhanded complement, and she seemed to pick up on that.

"Well thanks, I think, and no, we're not all models. There are some people in my town that are uglier than sin and stink like you wouldn't believe. Trust me." She said severely, as if remembering something foul. She shuddered a little and took another bite of sandwich.

"Well yeah, but it's all relative. Ugly to you might be pretty to me; your version of beautiful would probably melt my face off." Billy said very scientifically.

"We're normal people, not the contents of the Ark of the Covenant!" She said with a grin.

"Look away Marian, it's… it's… a beach party!" Billy joked, shielding his eyes with his hands.

"Yeah right! More like that the guy who ate the poisonous dates and ended up dead on the table!"

"That was a monkey…" Billy said slowly, trying to remember the scene from the Indiana Jones movie.

"My point exactly."

They both talked and laughed for a long time, eventually going through the girl's monstrous lunch. Class started again, and they both went their separate ways.


	11. Knight of Terror

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

Between the fertile valleys of central California and the barren wastelands of the northern Mexican border, a secret had been kept for thousands of years. Back when the oceans covered large stretches of land and the continents themselves had taken different shape, a great warrior named Zordon carved out a Command Center; a secondary command post to watch over Earth and the surrounding planets. In its prime, the Command Center was a beautiful fortress that rested under the waves. Accessible only by teleportation, it was the last bastion of power in the great empire.

Now, things had changed. The ocean had receded, the continents had reformed, and an entirely new civilization had risen on planet Earth. Still the Command Center stood, but now, instead of waves crashing overhead, sand swirled far below. The fortress had been left high and dry on a bleak mountain top in the desert, its ancient stone walls blending into the surrounding environment. Few had ever seen the outside; fewer still recognized anything artificial. It looked like just another rocky mountain in the vast desert.

Zordon and Alpha couldn't have been more protected in their secret lair; with the ability to teleport the Rangers to battle and observe the city of Angel Grove, they felt sure that they would be able to stop Rita with the help of the Rangers. At least, they had been sure, before Alpha's daily scan turned up something… else.

"Zordon! I'm reading a surge of dark energy across the Morphing Grid!" Alpha squealed, his high pitched voice echoing off the walls.

"Where is it originating from?" Zordon boomed, watching the robot carefully as he buzzed around the room.

"Unclear; the mass of the sun is obscuring our readings, but it must have come from Archaelun!"

"The humans call it Mars now, Alpha. If Rita is casting a spell, her timing couldn't be worse. We will be unable to read exactly what she is up to." Zordon said sadly.

"Perhaps not; I have observed these preliminary readings before. There is a forty seven percent chance that Rita is summoning her Knight!"

Both of them were silent for a moment as they considered the ramifications. Zordon slowly gave the order to summon the Rangers, his feeling of dread growing by the moment.

* * *

Far away on the world once called Archaelun, Rita was chanting in a language long forgotten. Skulls of ancient sorcerers were lined up around her, blood dripped from cauldrons into a magical rune carved into the floor. Her chanting grew more fever pitched as she concentrated.

 _I won't be alone much longer… My knight in shining armor has arrived!_ She thought to herself. She didn't dare speak or even move as she finished the incantation, her monster was almost here.

No Malumbra beetles were needed today; this horror was summoned from something much darker. The blood boiled in the circle, and then evaporated, sending a red mist into the air. It swirled around the room before coalescing in front of her kneeling form, the shape of the monster becoming clear. First bone and then muscle formed from the red haze; then skin and armor materialized. Black plates of titanium armor formed around the incredible warrior; a shield was visible on his left arm. Finally, it was done.

Rita stood up slowly, her mind and body weak from the exertion.

"Welcome, my knight. It has been too long." Rita cooed softly, her eyes racing across her creation's armor.

"My lady." The knight bowed low to the ground before rising again. "Where is my sword? I presumed it would be here when I awoke!"

"I have other plans for your blade, knight. Its corrupting powers aren't necessary for the task at hand. Allow me to fashion you something more appropriate." Rita assured him.

She moved towards one particularly large caldron full of vile liquid and uttered a quick spell under her breath. With one quick movement, she plunged her arm into the boiling fluid and pulled out a long blade. It was dripping with the concoction Rita had stirred together, and still warm to the touch. She carefully presented it to her new ally.

"This power is amazing! It is easily as versatile as my old weapon! What are your orders, my queen?"

"It is simple. The Rangers have returned; I want you to kill one of them." Rita explained, wiping the remains of the liquid off of her arm.

"Only one? My lady I assure you I have-"

"Enough!" Rita's harsh voice was enough to silence him, and make the hissing Malumbra beetles in the next chamber freeze in fear. His eyes were wide as he spoke again.

"Forgive me, my lady. I will carry out your orders or die trying."

"Good. Target the Black Ranger; the Mastodon. He protects the other Rangers and the pathetic humans of their city. Destroy him, and the rest will fall. Now go."

* * *

Zack Taylor wasn't a coward. He didn't get scared easily. But when Jason told him that his plan of keeping their distance involved everyone going home alone, Zack flinched. Jason drove a car; Zack walked. It wasn't a long walk; or so he told Jason. In truth it was over three blocks. But he liked walking through the neighborhood; in the morning. When it was night time, all the cute girls went inside. The kids playing football in the street took it somewhere else. At night, the other guys came out.

It wouldn't have been a problem if Zack hadn't heard a rumor about aliens running around in an old house downtown. Zack, being the exemplary citizen he was, decided to investigate. It turned out to be a group of addicts that were so messed up from their choice of narcotic that they _looked_ like aliens. And then the police showed up, and Zack had to explain why he was there and how he really shouldn't go to jail.

That took close to three hours and by that time, it was getting dark. So Zack walked home alone, regretting the entire ordeal. But Jason said it was nothing to worry about, Billy was missing in action, and what guy with any self respect calls two teenaged girls for help? In Zack's book, that just didn't happen.

He was walking a little faster than normal, trying to make it home before his brother got worried. If he had to deal with a lecture or grounding on top of the day he'd had, he'd lose it.

He was walking so fast he almost missed it. There was a scuffle happening between two abandoned houses; three guys were wrestling a girl to the ground. Zack stopped and watched for a split second. No, they weren't all friends goofing around; the girl looked terrified. No, no one else was running to help. And no, he definitely wasn't getting home on time.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Zack raced across the dead lawn to the small alley, tensing for a fight. The three guys in hoodies and ski-masks stopped, and so did the girl.

It was eerie looking; the four of them had just frozen. Zack stopped in his tracks, panting a little from the short sprint. Then the girl was dropped, and the three guys stood up straight.

"What's going on?" Zack demanded, taking a step backwards.

None of them spoke, but they were all smiling now. The girl rolled to her feet, bending unnaturally as she did so.

"Okay, never mind, y'all carry on then…" Zack said quietly, still backing away.

Still none of them spoke. But now, their faces were changing. Noses and ears melted away; mouths elongated and grew thin. Clothes turned to skin, and skin turned to…

"Putties! Dang it…" Zack hit the street and stopped, going over options in his head. He couldn't morph; there were probably a dozen people watching through their windows. He couldn't count on help; those same people would post the video of his death on Youtube before lifting a finger to help. And calling the others just didn't seem like a good idea.

"Alright, there's only four, I got this!" Zack told himself, holding up his fists. The four Putties had completely changed to their gray, featureless forms and were walking towards him now.

"Come on!" Zack shouted out of adrenaline and rage as he leapt over a car hood to attack the leader. He kicked at the Putty's chest, sending him flying backwards.

Two more swung wildly at him, but Zack hit the ground and spun his legs, tripping them both. He rolled to his feet easily, a smile forming on his face.

"I didn't know I could do that OOF!" He was cut off as a gray fist slammed into his gut, knocking the wind out of him. Zack sank to the ground, and the four aliens started kicking.

Blow after blow landed on his legs and back while he shielded his head with his arms. They leaned in closer, delivering punishing blows to the boy's crumpled form.

"Enough!" With an explosion of force, Zack lashed out and knocked them all backwards. He leapt to his feet and punched a Putty with all his gathered momentum, and slime coated his fist when he pulled back.

Another Putty kicked high at Zack's head; he grabbed the gray limb and snapped it in half. With a quick jerk, he pulled the Putty closer and reached into his chest, crushing the parasitic beetle inside.

Slime splattered the ground around him as he turned to the next one. A fist flew over his head, while Zack kicked outwards and caught one of them in the head. He grabbed the attacking Putty's arm and flipped him onto the ground deftly. As he slammed his fist into the alien's chest to crush the bug, another Putty leapt onto his back.

Zack closed his fist, killed the Putty at his feet, and arched his back to throw off the other one. As he fell, Zack kicked out behind him and sent the alien spinning into a garbage can.

The one whose head had been cracked open finally got back up and charged forward. Zack watched him come, measured the angles, and snapped one fist out at the last second. There was a sickening crunch, and the Putty was reduced to slime.

The last one came running forward, and Zack wasn't ready for him. The spiked fist was inches away from Zack's back when a loud voice boomed in the street.

"Stop!"

And they did. Both Zack and the Putty froze, each one turning to face the man who'd spoken.

Standing in the darkened street was a tall figure. He wore a suit of black plate armor, covering him from head to toe. The armor was sharp and came to a point at every joint, with the helmet designed to look like some fiendish creature. Twin red eyes glared out at them.

"Malumbra, stand down!"

The putty retracted his arm and ran to his master's side, a blank expression on his face. Zack caught his breath and stepped away from the puddles of dead Putties to face the newcomer.

"Malumbra, huh? I call 'em Putties. Sounds easier, you know?" Zack rambled on, slowly sizing up his opponent. He was easily twice Zack's size, and if he commanded Putties, he was no friend to the Ranger.

"I am Knasticulous, Knight to the lady Rita." The man said in his deep, creepy sounding voice.

"Knasticulous, huh? Mind if I call you Knasty Knight? It has a better ring to it, easier to spell on your gravestone…"

"Silence!"

The knight's voice grew even darker and more sinister. Zack finally stopped talking and rolled around the decision to morph again. Even if there were people watching, the long sword sheathed at the knight's side looked like it could gut Zack in a second. Keeping his identity a secret wasn't as important as staying alive, at least in Zack's book.

"I have come to find the Black Ranger, the Mastodon. You attacked my soldiers and do not fear me. If you are not a Ranger, you must know of them."

"Maybe I am and maybe I'm not…" Zack said weakly. He wracked his brain for a solution as his pulse pounded in his ear. He had no backup, and he'd only morphed twice. He wasn't experienced at fighting Rita's monsters, and the last one had given him nightmares. The monster facing him down now was truly terrifying, and he seemed angry to boot.

"I said _silence!_ " The knight yelled. Zack swallowed hard and let him go on.

"I am seeking the Black Ranger. I hereby challenge him to honorable combat; tell him to meet me in the city's square at noon; we shall fight before the masses to prove my lady's power and authority. If he refuses, I shall kill ten citizens of this city every hour I am kept waiting."

Without another word, the Knight and the remaining Putty teleported away, leaving Zack alone in the street.


	12. Regroup and Debrief

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

Zack managed to wait until the next day to frantically call Jason. He 'slept' very uneasily and spent most of the night nervously looking out of all the windows in the small house. His brother thought he was just hiding from another kid from school, and Zack didn't feel like correcting him.

Finally, six o'clock rolled around, and Zack dialed Jason's number. He knew Jason was always up early, and even if he wasn't, Zack couldn't wait any longer.

As soon as Jason picked up, Zack gushed out the entire story in one breath, then had to repeat it because Jason hadn't understood a word he said.

"Okay, so another one of Rita's monsters is in town."

"Yes."

"And he's after you."

"Yes!"

"Did he know you specifically? That you were a Ranger?" Jason asked wearily.

"I don't think so; for all I know, he gave that 'test' to a hundred people to make sure the word got around. Jason, Billy went ape on that clown and instead of dropping dead, he turned into a skyscraper and almost stepped on us! How in the heck am I supposed to take on a knight?" Zack's voice got higher and higher pitched as he spoke, and he had to keep his voice low so his brother didn't hear him.

"Alright, calm down. Don't come to school, have your brother call in sick for you. I'll do the same and we'll meet at the old juice bar again."

"Okay, yeah, that'll work…" Zack nervously hung up the phone and paced around for a while, trying to calm down enough to speak clearly.

As he was deciding on which excuse to give his brother, the door opened quietly. Zack fairly jumped out his skin when he saw his brother standing in the doorway.

"Hey there short-stuff. What's got you wired?"

Zack's brother was a few years older than him; just barely old enough to convince a court to give him custody of Zack. They had different moms, and Zack had never known his father. His brother Andre's father had never been in the picture, and Andre practically spit when he heard the word 'dad'. He'd raised Zack even before they'd been on their own; neither mother had been overly competent. Andre got him and his little brother out, into another city, and swore that he'd do better.

"Oh uh, nothing, you know, just… stuff." Zack droned on, his eyes wide with panic.

"Huh. Sounds like some interesting stuff." Andre said in an insincere tone.

"You know, it's just…"

"Stuff, I got that. Look, is it a girl?" Andre asked impatiently.

"Well, kind of, there _are_ two girls…"

"Is anyone pregnant?"

"What? No!" Zack almost fell out of the chair he'd sunken into moments before as he firmly denied it.

"Alright, calm down. I had to ask. You need any help?" Andre was serious this time, and sat on the bed next to his brother. Zack took a breath and considered his answer.

"Well, not having to go to school today would help."

"Fair enough. I hate that school anyway. You given any more thought to home-schooling?"

Andre had always had a thing against the public school system. He said he'd been through it, talked to other people who'd been through it, and was convinced it was about the worst education you could get. Home-schooled and private-schooled kids tested higher, and were far less likely to be in gangs, addicted to drugs, or become teen parents. The only reason Andre hadn't pulled him out before then was Zack wanted to have a social life, and he was only two years away from graduating now.

"Kind of. Not really, but stuff is changing, and it might not be a bad idea." Zack said honestly. Andre nodded and tossed around an old football laying on the carpet.

"Long as you can pass your GED I'm happy. There's even websites and stuff for getting high school diplomas without actually have to wear the stupid cap and gown. I want you to get a good education, but I also don't want to force you into this. To be fair though, you spend an awful lot of time out with friends now; seems like your social life doesn't rely all that much on school." Andre pointed out.

Zack nodded in agreement. "You have no idea."

"No I don't. And it looks like you want it that way. So if you need help, I'm here. If not, so be it. But I want an answer for school by Friday, got it? There's all this paperwork and other stuff I have to fill out to pull you out of school. California hates home-schooling so I'm practically going to have to get permission from the President to do it."

"But I'm worth it, right?" Zack grinned, elbowing his brother playfully.

Andre grinned and shook his head, dodging another elbow. "I don't know sometimes. You leave your nasty boxers on the floor, you eat more than an elephant, you're nothing nice to look at…"

Zack feigned a look of horror and hurt feelings.

"But… I guess it could be worse. I could have gotten stuck with one of your loser friends. Go on and solve that problem of yours." Andre got up and left, tossing Zack the football on the way out.

Zack didn't have car, he couldn't stand bicycles, and the bus was too expensive to take most places. So he ran a lot. He figured it kept him in shape and saved a lot of money, and up until a week ago, he rarely went far. Jason's house was only a few blocks away and school was the same distance in the opposite direction. But now, having to practically patrol the city and make it to the old juice bar daily was wearing him out.

He ended up calling Jason again for a ride, and the two of them drove down to the juice bar as fast as possible. The rest of them had agreed to meet them there too.

"I have to admit, Kimberly sure picked a decent spot to hang out." Jason said nonchalantly as he took a turn towards that part of town.

"For normal people, no. It sucks. For us, it'll work. I personally was hoping for a Bat Cave or something." Zack argued.

Jason laughed and strummed his fingers against the outside roof of the Jeep as he drove. "We get teleported to a secret Command Center every day to learn about fighting aliens from a robot and a guy in a tube. And you want a Bat Cave?"

"Well… yeah. And let's not just skip over how desperate you are to pay Kimberly a compliment!" Zack shot back.

Jason tensed up and swallowed hard as he took another turn. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on, you'd have to be blind not to see it! The two of you are…"

"Knock it off, Zack." Jason suddenly snapped, taking his eyes off the road to glare at his friend. "We're Rangers. We work together. That's all we can be, if we expect to survive this. Relationships are just going to complicate it."

Zack was quiet for a while as he realized Jason was serious. He shook his head and kept his eyes on the road, adding their conversation to the long list of things that changed in the past week.

Finally, they ended up in the parking lot and pulled up next to Kimberly's convertible. The other three were already inside, drinks in hand at their usual table. Zack and Jason both got out and hurried inside, looking over their shoulders out of habit to see if anyone was following them.

"Alright, let's get this over with. Zack, what exactly happened and when?" Jason said sternly as they both sat down. Trini and Kimberly had been talking quietly while Billy played with his phone, but the three of them all looked at Zack expectantly as he sat down.

"Okay, so last night I was walking home, alone, when a group of Putties and some weird Knight dude ambushed me." Zack started, leaning forward onto the table. "I took out all but one of them when the Knight showed up and started giving orders."

"Back up, how many Putties?" Trini asked suspiciously, as if Zack were making the story up.

"Three or four, I forget. I got all but the last one though."

"Were you morphed?" Jason demanded in the same tone. Zack had given him the abridged version over the phone, and Jason had waited until now to ask any questions.

"No, I didn't have time and I figured people would be watching. Anyway, like I said…"

"Wait a minute, you took on four Putties alone and unmorphed?" Kimberly demanded, looking amazed. Zack smiled a little and nodded, enjoying the attention.

"Well yeah, they weren't so tough and there was only…"

"That was incredibly stupid! Zack, we saw people get _dismantled_ by those things and they almost killed us before we morphed!" Kimberly railed on, shattering Zack's sense of accomplishment.

"Look, I…"

"And why would you even charge in like that without calling us?" Trini asked suddenly.

"Everyone shut up!" Billy shouted, startling them all. The old guy behind the juice bar grunted in his sleep, but didn't wake up. They all looked to Billy questioningly.

"Zack, start again. Describe everything that happened as it happened. This isn't a campfire story," He looked at Zack accusingly. "and it's not an interrogation." He then glared at Kimberly, who looked surprised at his sudden change in attitude. "It's a debriefing. We need to know what you know. We're not friends, we're a team. So start again, and don't leave anything out this time."

Everyone seemed shocked at Billy's rant, but Zack continued on anyway. "Okay, I was walking home alone and made it to my street. I saw three guys jump a girl and drag her into this alley between two houses. I ran in to try and help."

Kimberly softened noticeably as he spoke, and Zack seemed to notice. "That's why I went in. Four Putties _would_ have been too much, but three punks didn't seem like that big a challenge. Anyway, as soon as I got close, they all turned into Putties."

"Are you saying…?" Kimberly started to interrupt, and Billy shot a look at her.

"How about we save the questions for later? Zack, keep going." Billy said in one breath. Kimberly bit her lip and was silent.

"These people just… changed. Their skin and clothes melted and turned into Putty. I backed up, thinking I was seeing things, but they kept coming. I don't think they actually spoke, they just ran towards me. We fought, and I was winning. I had three of them down and dead, but the fourth one had me. Right before I took a Putty spike to the chest, I hear this guy yell 'stop' at the top of his lungs." Zack stopped for a breath and licked his lips.

"Standing there in the street was a friggin' knight. Tall, thick, black armor and a sword at his side. He called off the putty and told me he was looking for the Black Ranger, or the Mastodon. He said if the Ranger didn't meet him in the city square by noon, he'd start killing people. I got the impression he had no clue who I was, or he would have just impaled me right there. That's what happened." Zack finished, leaning back in his chair.

They were all quiet as they thought, each of them glad they weren't in Zack's shoes.

"It's almost seven now. We've got five hours until the executions start." Billy said casually, as if this were completely normal. "We need to think up a plan before then."

"No, really? I kind of thought we could just wing it and see what happens!" Zack said sarcastically.

"Alright, Billy, get online and see if you can track this guy. I think people are going to notice him if he turns up again. Kimberly, Trini, head into town. The 'city square' isn't really that specific; that could mean any of a half dozen spots. Figure out where this is going to go down." Jason ordered.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Kimberly asked.

"This guy is looking for attention. Look for a natural amphitheater, somewhere dramatic and important. Probably somewhere with a clock or something." Jason explained, his mind already working over the possibilities.

"Got it." Trini said, stifling another question from Kimberly.

"Zack and I will try and figure out how to get in contact with Zordon; we can't just wait for them to call us. There's got to be a way to get their attention, and I also want to know if our suits have any other tricks we don't know about. Sounds like we might need all the help we can get." Jason said somberly, looking at each of them in turn.

"You mean _I'll_ need all the help I can get. He challenged me." Zack reminded him.

"No. He challenged _us_. We stand together, we die together. We're a team." Jason said firmly. They all looked up at him as he said it, with the morning sun streaming into the little shop. For a split second, Jason sounded like some mythical general, leading his troops into combat. And then Zack ruined it.

"Yeah, but without the 'dying' part. I've got plans, see, and none of them involve coffins."

They all laughed at the joke, and Jason nodded. "Agreed. Now let's move. Five hours isn't that much time, and we have a lot of ground to cover."


	13. Sort of a Genius

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

Kimberly knew Angel Grove like the back of her hand. Trini had a warrior-like mindset. Jason knew they'd be able to handle finding the Knight's preferred arena. Billy was a genius when it came to technology; he'd gotten them their only lead on the clown just days earlier. That left Jason and Zack.

The two boys were left with the slightly more impossible task of communicating with the Command Center and delving once again into the Ranger suit's secrets. Jason had driven them deep into the mountains outside of Angel Grove, trying to find a spot where no one would accidentally find them. They passed hiking paths, bike trails, and the highway that led out of California before finally finding a decent spot.

It wasn't but a few miles from where they'd downed the giant clown; huge rocks and boulders were strewn everywhere and there wasn't a soul in sight. Jason parked the Jeep and they both jumped out.

"It's weird, when we're morphed, it's all instinct. Like riding a bike or picking your nose; it just comes to you." Zack said mostly to himself. Jason raised an eyebrow at his example.

"Well let's hope this comes to us too. Ready?" Jason pulled the Power Coin out of his pocket, the red orb glowing brightly.

Zack pulled out his own coin and nodded. "I guess. Hey wait!"

"What?"

"Where'd that whole, 'It's Morphin' Time!' thing come from? That instinct too?" Zack asked suspiciously. Jason shrugged in response.

"I don't know. It just sounded right. Again, ready?"

"Ready."

"Tyrannosaurus!"

"Mastodon!"

The change took place almost instantly; the two boys had noticed that each time they morphed, it went faster and easier. This time it took only a few seconds for the armor to appear and their senses to kick in.

"Yep, there's that instinct again…" Zack said over the radio, automatically taking a defensive stance as the process completed.

"To what? Pick your nose?" Jason joked, assuming the same stance.

"No dipstick, to pick yours!" Zack snapped back good naturedly.

They both stood still and felt their bodies go through the change. It all seemed so clear and simple when they were Rangers; like the entire world around them was a book waiting to be read.

"I think I've got something…" Jason said absentmindedly, trying to focus.

"Yeah, I've got it too. Two way radio with… something."

"This is Jason, does anyone read me?" Jason tried, mentally activating the communications program. The information streamed over his black visor as the radio broadcasted.

"This is the Command Center; Jason, what's wrong?" Zordon boomed. Jason and Zack both grinned as they heard the voice.

"A lot. We're glad we found a way to reach you; Zack encountered another one of Rita's monsters last night." Jason explained.

"I'm teleporting you all to the Command Center now."

"No wait!" Zack cut in suddenly, flinching a little as he expected the gut wrenching teleportation to take effect.

"The rest of the gang is busy, just grab us."

"Certainly, Rangers. Stand by." Zordon answered. Two blinding flashes engulfed them, and Jason and Zack were whisked away.

As they materialized in the large room, Alpha and Zordon looked at them quizzically.

"Thanks for the lift, guys." Jason said as soon as he could speak again. He took another look around the Command Center as he gathered his thoughts again. Teleportation had a way of scrambling his thought process.

"What is the situation, Rangers?" Zordon asked again, snapping them out of their confusion.

Zack told the story yet again of what he'd seen while Alpha practically buzzed with agitation.

"We are aware of the Knight's presence Rangers; we've been tracking him since Rita summoned him twelve hours ago." Alpha said curtly.

"Oh, well thanks for the warning." Zack snapped. Jason stepped in between them and addressed his question to Zordon.

"Is there any better way to communicate back and forth without getting teleported? If we're going to keep our cover and handle these threats as they happen, we can't just wait around for you to call us."

Zordon looked confused and Alpha looked annoyed as he answered Jason.

"To battle Rita's monsters you will need to morph; once morphed, you will have communications immediately!"

"One problem with that; we don't morph at the first sign of aliens. I took down three of those Putty things solo before the fourth one almost got me." Zack said honestly. Jason nodded in agreement.

"We were not expecting you to fight so independently of the Ranger armor; your abilities are truly impressive if you can stand toe to toe with Rita's soldiers." Zordon admitted.

"I will have Alpha develop a way to communicate without needing to morph. In the meantime, I suggest you prepare for the coming battle. Knasticulous, or Knasty Knight, as you call him, is no easy foe. It will take all of your strength and cunning to defeat him." Zordon predicted.

Jason and Zack nodded quickly; they'd assumed as much. "Does this thing have any weaknesses we can exploit? That clown, Atir, was after kids; what's this monster's game?" Jason asked.

"Nothing." Alpha said simply. The two Rangers turned to Zordon, hoping for a better answer.

"Alpha is right, Rangers. Knasty Knight was the first general of Rita's army thousands of years ago. He traveled throughout the galaxy, gathering soldiers and weapons to use in the great war. I have never seen a match for his power on Earth or any other planet."

"Then how'd you stop him the first time?" Zack demanded.

Zordon suddenly looked incredibly downhearted as he replied. "We didn't. Rita secreted away her general when my people lost the war. She thought that she had won, and that the warrior was no longer needed. Stored in the darkest corners of the universe, Knasty Knight and dozens of other formidable foes were either entombed or imprisoned. Some Rita feared, others she trusted. Anything that Rita valued was placed into protection after the war ended."

"Okay… I'll ask the obvious question: if Rita won, why didn't she just take over Earth and every other planet she wanted ten thousand years ago?" Zack asked cautiously.

"That is a tale for another time. Sufficed to say, I have not always existed in this stasis capsule. Once, I too was a Ranger." Zordon said painfully. Both Jason and Zack were taken aback at the admission; they hadn't known what to think. Jason's bet had been that Zordon was just a computer program and the tube was a screen.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Zack said softly.

"Do not apologize, Zachary. You and the others have a right to know. For now, concentrate on this new enemy. I'm afraid we will not have much help to offer you in the coming conflict."

"Don't worry, Zordon. We'll put him down just like we did Atir." Jason assured him. Zordon smiled slightly and nodded to Alpha.

"Thank you, Rangers. Now go, and may the Power protect you!"

* * *

Kimberly normally loved hanging out in Angel Grove; she'd go to movies, fast food restaurants, malls… Downtown was a paradise for the girl. Not today, however.

Trini had dragged her all over town. They went through a dozen intersections all around the 'center' of town before Trini made her park the car in a parking garage so they could walk around on foot. Insisting that they'd get a better feel of the environment, Trini then led the way down another dozen intersections, cul-de-sacs and parking lots.

"Come on, Trini! What are we even looking for?" Kimberly whined, flicking her hair out of her eyes as she spoke. Trini was walking determinedly down a side street, her eyes flickering from point to point.

"You heard Zack. A knight challenged him to a duel; we're looking for a good arena." Trini said with positively. She was enjoying Kimberly's exhaustion far too much.

"So that means walking to every big, open space in Angel Grove?" Kimberly demanded, her heel catching on a crack in the sidewalk a second later.

"Ow! And this part of town sucks, F.Y.I."

"I told you to change into flats…" Trini said condescendingly.

"I told _you_ we were driving! Seriously, what can you possibly see from here that we couldn't see from the car?" Kimberly leaned against a wall to adjust her pink shoe, massaging her ankle as she went.

"For one thing, the wet paint on that brick wall." Trini laughed.

Kimberly jumped forward and frantically started brushing her jacket off, as if she could wipe off the white paint now covering her.

"Oh come on! I _just_ bought this!" Kimberly yelled, ripping off the jacket angrily. It came down to her waist with a leather exterior and a fur lining; Trini thought it was the ugliest jacket she'd ever seen. The black leather was also bedazzled and the fur was dyed radio-active white.

"Relax; the paint's almost dry on the building. You just got a little on the back; it'll wash out." Trini eyed the ruined leather cautiously as Kimberly fumed.

"Can we please just find this magic spot of yours? How are we supposed to know where this Knight dude wants to fight Zack anyway?"

"We're looking for a large, open space in the center of town. Somewhere dramatic, with room to maneuver and move around. Probably somewhere to hide so he can try and ambush Zack, _and_ a clock of some kind so they'll know when it's noon." Trini summed up, looking around the busy intersection again.

"Okay, well, you literally just described a football stadium." Kimberly growled to herself.

Trini stopped walking, her eyes went wide and she turned to face Kimberly again.

"Say that again."

"I said, you literally just described a football stadium. It even looks like those old coliseums Arthur and the Round Table dudes built." Kimberly repeated.

"Kimberly, you're a genius! Sort of. Which way is the parking garage?" Trini said with a grin, trying to get her bearings on corner of a huge bookstore.

"Down two blocks and over on Madison; it'll be faster to cut across Third though." Kimberly rattled off, pressing the button for the crosswalk.

"You know Kimberly, despite what you tell everyone, you are smart." Trini said sincerely. Kimberly looked confused and shrugged the compliment off. The light changed, the girls jogged across the cross walk, and Trini suddenly had a new respect for the girl at her side.

* * *

Billy hadn't gotten a ride home with Kimberly and Trini; he'd opted to walk home rather than listen to the annoying voice of Kimberly Hart. Besides, most of what he'd been assigned to do he could do over his phone. He picked up on Wi-Fi signals from different businesses as he walked through town, memorizing the best route for uninterrupted internet as he went.

A hundred and one social networking sites all had users in Angel Grove, and Billy had to search through all of them. Scanning news feeds, browsing blogs, even searching Google images for anything recent on black, armored Knights. All of it came second nature to Billy. He'd once written a report on the feeding habits of the Platypus in under fifteen minutes, masterfully scooping information out of one site, rewording and reorganizing it, and dumping into a Google doc during recess. He'd gotten an A on the paper and he'd done the whole thing while half asleep. Plagiarism? Maybe. But he'd changed enough of the information to satisfy his conscience, and the teachers didn't care enough to check on it.

And so he walked, surfed the web, and brooded all at the same time. Billy had a good temperament. It took a lot for him to be angry. But once he was angry, watch out. And Kimberly had crossed that line.

It wasn't just what she'd said. It was her tone of voice. Her snotty look. Her arrogant stance. Her grating, high pitched voice… Billy swore he'd rather to listen to nails on a chalkboard. And the worst part: Trini had let her do it. She'd just watched as Kimberly lashed out at him, enjoying the show.

Kimberly had been pretty in Billy's eyes. Trini had been beautiful. Now, Billy couldn't think of anyone uglier than those two. That was Billy's way of coping; absolutely no half measures. If you were his friend, you were his brother and could do no wrong. If you were his enemy, you were the vilest scum to ever walk the earth. And lately, Billy didn't have many friends.

He'd considered walking away from the 'team' and giving his Power Coin to someone else. He'd considered that deeply, as a matter of fact. But somehow he couldn't. Being a Ranger was part of him, now. Like that blue orb in his pocket was somehow another limb, just as important as a hand or a foot. He was a Ranger; no getting around that. But he was no one's friend or sidekick.

All of a sudden, as Billy was about to pass out of a McDonald's Wi-Fi signal, he caught something. It was now around eight o'clock, and someone had posted a live video of a huge black creature stomping around the city. The resolution was horrible, but the location was easy enough to recognize. Zack's Knight was walking through an intersection not two blocks away...


	14. As You Wish

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

Knasticulous was not happy. Stomping through the pathetic hovel called Angel Grove didn't help his mood. He was to meet a Ranger in battle in four hours, and he was not looking forward to the duel.

Knasticulous was no Malumbra, bred in slime and fed with corpses; he was a flesh and blood human. Or, at least he had been. Born in the slums of some forgotten world on the edge of the empire, Knasticulous had been a weak child. Bullied mercilessly, teased continually, starved, beaten… No one expected him to become anything but a corpse in the street.

And then, in what he thought was his final hour, an angel appeared out of the sky. Those that had ridiculed him were dead at his feet. Those that hadn't cared whether or not he lived now kneeled in front of him. Food, shelter, warmth, and power were showered upon him. Why?

Rita Repulsa, the princess of Earth's ruling power, had seen something in him that day. Her ship had descended amid the firing shells and bursting bombs, landing only a few yards from where he squatted in the mud. Raising his hands to shield his eyes, he didn't see the beautiful woman who exited the mighty ship for a long moment. His tattered rags fell over his arms and face, further obscuring his vision.

And then a voice called out to him. "Hello, my child. Do not worry. I won't hurt you."

Knasticulous had fairly wept when he finally saw her. Her skin glowed gold in the morning sun, her hair was a fiery auburn, her eyes sparkled like gems. Her smile welcomed him, and for the first time in Knasiculuos' miserable life, someone cared about him. Rita lifted him up, healed his wounds and sores, and made him ruler over those that had hated him. She fed him, clothed him, taught him, and became the mother he'd never known. He was only half grown when he'd met her; no more than a teenager as humans would call it. The kind, gentle woman had taken him in and given him everything he wanted.

All Rita had wanted to do was free the oppressed. Strengthen the weak. Remember forgotten knowledge, and seek out secrets and lies of the government. Those that sought to rule through fear and regulation would have to be put down. They'd been bred and raised in the very environment that Rita wanted to destroy. Soldiers, businessmen, government officials… So many foolish men and women stood against the Lady Rita. And it was Knasticulous' honor to slaughter them all in the name of his savior, his friend, his lady: Rita.

But now, after a glorious war and a promise of safety, Knasticulous had been reawakened. His armor and weapons were darker, his body more sinister. Blood magic was not the best way to awaken sleeping allies; Rita must have been desperate indeed to resort to it. His lady had changed in the millennia since he'd slept. Where once a beautiful, strong, ambitious woman had stood for truth and change, now stood an altogether different picture.

Rita as he had known her attacked only those that could defend themselves. She had honor. And his mission now certainly had that; a great Ranger of Earth could certainly defend himself. But attacking civilians? Destroying a city? Turning to the once abominations, Malumbras, to do her dirty work?

The Rita that had saved Knasticulous' life was gone. But he still had his honor. He'd sworn to do her bidding until he'd drawn his last breath. And so he would.

As he walked along the stone pathway between roads, passing a large fountain, he noticed two people. A woman and her child had seen him coming, and were petrified at the sight of him. All of the others had fled, leaving the two to fend for themselves. Knasticulous was glad there were no Malumbras around him; they were too coarse for work such as this.

Ever so gently, he sank to one knee. Slowly, he put his hands on his helmet and lifted it away, revealing the face beneath it. The woman was no older than twenty; her child was still an infant. But as she saw the face behind the mask, she softened considerably.

"Hello." He said gently, smiling a little as he did. The woman was on her back, trying to scurry away, until he spoke. She stopped in her tracks, looking up at the man cautiously.

His skin was pale white after spending so long in a dark catacomb. His black hair was cut roughly and hung around his chin. He smiled almost sweetly at the woman, admiring her beauty slowly. She was very pretty, and the way she held her child so close to her, protectively shielding the infant from him told him she was a good person. A good mother. He'd never known one personally, but he could still recognize it when he saw it.

"Do not worry. I will not harm you." Knasticulous assured her, drawing on the English he'd had burned into his mind. Rita had seen to it that he'd be able to understand the local languages once on Earth; his mastery over them wasn't learned as much as absorbed.

"What do you want? Who are you?" The woman stuttered, crawling away a little farther.

"The world, my dear. I want the world."

All of a sudden, the woman bolted and ran into the crowd of people filming the encounter on their phones. Knasticulous felt like gutting a few out of principal; what manner of coward only watched while a stranger chased after a woman? Granted, he'd have killed the first man to touch him, but he would have respected the honor of trying.

As he replaced his helmet, he heard what had caused the woman to run. There were two sets of footsteps approaching from behind him. Armored footsteps. They were slow, sure of themselves, and the smell of their arrogance assaulted Knasticulous all at once.

"Rangers…" He growled, spinning on his heel to face them.

The Red and Black Rangers stood, shoulder to shoulder, weapons in hand. A quick glance at the sun told Knasticulous that it wasn't yet time for his challenge to take place.

"Stop!" The Red Ranger shouted, his helmet magnifying his voice.

Knasticulous laughed to himself at the sight of them. 'Warriors', or rather, men who wore the armor of warriors. _How pathetic…_

With a lightning fast flick of his wrist, his new blade was in his hand and ready to use. The sunlight seemed to avoid it altogether, giving it a black and murky look. His shield sat ready and waiting on his arm, strong enough to stop a much greater force than that which stood in front of him.

"It is not yet time, Rangers." Knasticulous said darkly.

"Then what are you doing here?" The Black Ranger demanded, raising his Ax menacingly.

"Surveying my new kingdom. My lady Rita will soon rule this world, and I wanted to see what has become of it." Knasticulous answered coldly.

"Over our dead bodies!" The Red Ranger shouted, his sword quivering in his hands as he spoke.

Knasticulous laughed out loud this time, unable to hide it anymore. These weren't warriors; they were children, playing with something they didn't understand. Real Rangers would have tried to cut him down by now.

"Scurry away, brats. I will honor my word in due time." He quickly whispered a spell, and he was teleported away.

* * *

Billy had called Jason as soon as he saw the video of the Knight on his phone. Unfortunately, the phone just kept ringing. Seconds later when two Rangers appeared in the video, Billy guessed correctly that Zordon and Alpha had already warned them. He watched as the Knight teleported away and then jammed his phone back in his pocket. The monster had been close, and yet it was Jason and Zack that actually got there and looked like heroes.

Billy had been ticked off and annoyed at the whole situation until he recognized a voice behind him. A somewhat harsh, Australian girl's voice, to be exact.

"Hey you." She was coming out of the McDonalds holding a drink in one hand.

"Hi there." Billy brightened immediately at the sight of her, and tried to think of something to say.

The mystery girl flicked a strand of hair out of her eyes and folded her arms as she looked at Billy closer. "You looked absolutely peeved there for a second. What's up?"

He would have liked nothing more than to explain the whole situation in its entirety and been done with it. Billy hated secrets; always had. He used to want to scream at the TV when characters in a drama or movie would decide to keep a certain secret to avoid 'hurting them'. He thought it was a giant waste of time and more often than not led to more problems and drama. But now, he was forced to lie and keep a secret, and for the same reason he'd always hated.

"Not much. I was on my way to run an errand, but some guys from school beat me to it. What about you?" Billy said tactfully, smiling gently at the girl across from him.

"About the same. My mom and I wanted to get out of the house, but we're pretty broke. So, McDonald's it was. She's still inside, I'll probably have to run in a minute."

There was something about her that made Billy pause. Something that told him she was lying. For one thing, Billy had glanced inside the restaurant as he passed; he hadn't seen her. She kind of stood out in a crowd. She was tall for a girl, and pretty on top of it. Being a lonely teenaged boy gave Billy Radar for pretty girls, and he would have bet money she wasn't inside a second ago. Plus, shooting a quick glance inside, Billy didn't see a single adult woman anywhere inside.

"Really? I don't see her…" Billy said dumbly, looking over her shoulder more obviously. She swallowed quickly and licked her lips, still staring straight at Billy.

"She's in the bathroom. Anyway, I have to run. Nice to see you though!" She smiled broadly at him and turned to go, leaving Billy standing alone on the corner again.

He knew she was lying. But so was he. And lying about family, or lack thereof? Billy had invented that game. 'Where are your parents?' 'Did you come here alone?' 'How come you never invite anyone over?' So many questions, answered by so many lies. At one point Billy had had friends; he'd driven every one of them away with stories just like the mystery girl's. It also occurred to Billy he'd never gotten her name.

* * *

Trini and Kimberly had both done some questionable things before; sneaking out of the house, sneaking into places no teenager should be, listening to music that later turned out to be far worse than they imagined… Normal teenager activities. They both had skeletons in their closets that neither girl wanted dragged out into the light. But sneaking into a closed football stadium topped both their lists.

"There has got to be an unlocked door here somewhere!" Kimberly complained, trying yet another service door on the back side of the facility. They'd already thrown out the idea of walking in the front doors, and all the back ones seemed to be locked. They'd parked their car far enough away to avoid suspicion, and were doing their best to avoid the security cameras that seemed to be at every corner. But getting inside was proving to be more difficult than they'd imagined.

"This is ridiculous. I say we call Jason and have him call Zordon, and have _him_ teleport us inside." Kimberly said with an air of finality, folding her arms as she spoke.

"We don't know if Jason and Zack actually made contact; and besides, I think I see a way in." Trini answered softly, staring intently upwards. "See that window?"

Kimberly looked at where Trini was staring and nodded slowly. "The rusty, nasty one that looks it'd give you tetanus if you looked at it wrong?"

"That's the one…" Trini said cheerfully, maneuvering a large metal barrel closer to the wall.

"Wait… No no no…" Kimberly put a hand on Trini's shoulder to stop her, already dreading the possibilities.

"Come on! It's already halfway open, I know I'm skinny enough to fit through, and we've got nothing else. All we need to do is see if the Knight is inside already. It'll take two minutes once we're in." Trini was still moving and managed to hop up onto the rusty barrel. Kimberly took a step back, watching as the girl slowly stood up to her full height.

"This is crazy…" Kimberly said under her breath.

"Fair enough. Now hold the barrel so I don't fall!"

Kimberly obliged, and Trini stretched her arms up as far as she could. Her finger tips almost reached the window sill, but came a few inches short.

"So this was a good day to wear jeans…" Kimberly joked as Trini started jumping. Trini was taller than Kimberly by a few inches, but still around average height for a girl. She had a feeling any of the boys would have reached in without an issue, but then again, they wouldn't have fit through the window once they got up there.

Finally, after a dangerous jump, she managed to grab the edge of the metal sill and hold on. Deftly, she walked up the side of the wall with her legs and stuck her right leg inside the window, sitting awkwardly in the small space.

"Be back in a second…" Trini whispered, ducking the rest of her torso inside.

The window they'd chosen happened to be a kitchen window. Why the stadium needed a kitchen was beyond Trini; she hated sports and knew nothing about football. But this stadium had a kitchen, and the window she'd climbed through led straight into it.

Trini was forced to hop down into the room quickly; she didn't have the grip to stay in the sill more than a few seconds. She gracefully fell down onto a counter, hopped down to the floor, and landed silently. She'd practiced similar jumps before during a parkour fling, and she was glad now she'd retained some of the skill.

It took only a second to unlock the door and let Kimberly in, and the two started exploring the empty stadium. Trini led the way while Kimberly nervously followed along, looking like an escaped convict on the run from police.

"If we get caught, we are going to be in _so_ much trouble…" Kimberly said for the hundredth time. They were walking up a long ramp headed for the stands, and the darkened hallways were making Kimberly even more jumpy.

" _If_ we get caught, we'll figure something out. Don't stress over that now, stress over the fact we may run into a Putty or Rita's Knight any second!" Trini snapped. She'd lost all patience for Kimberly ten minutes and twenty complaints ago.

"Oh. Right. That's much better, thank you!" Kimberly shot back sarcastically.

They made it up into the stands, and the bright light half blinded them for a moment. The sun was shining at the worst angle, and it caught them head on. As soon as they could see again, both girls searched the surrounding sea of seats for any movement.

"See anything?" Kimberly asked, shading her eyes with one hand.

"Yes. Get down." Trini spoke softly and moved quickly, almost throwing Kimberly to the ground. They both peeked over a guard rail and saw two Putties walking along the rows of seats, obviously patrolling the area. They were still pretty far off, and hadn't noticed the girls yet.

"There's only two of them; I say we jump them on three." Kimberly said suddenly, making Trini whirl around in shock.

"Really? Weren't you jumping at your own shadow a second ago?"

"Cops and Putties are two different things. Putties we can kill, and Zack took like three of the things last night. They must not be that tough." Kimberly pointed out, still staring in a predatory way at the two advancing Putties.

"Kimberly, I don't understand you sometimes." Trini said, mostly to herself. But she still braced herself to jump out, judging the distance between them and the oncoming enemies.

"Obviously. And please call me Kim from now on. All my friends do; 'Kimberly' drives me nuts."

"You let Jason call you Kimberly all the time." Trini argued with a confused look.

"And when you have a washboard for a stomach and arms like his, you can call me that too. Here they come!"

Without another word, both girls jumped out from their cover and attacked the aliens head on. The two Putties were surprised for a second, but not nearly long enough. Both were armed with the concrete-like spikes on their hands, and both looked ready to kill.

Kim hopped over the guardrail and kicked upwards, landing a blow directly on the first Putty's chest. He fell back and braced himself against a chair as she jumped forward to strike again. The Putty pulled his legs up and grabbed her by the waist in a vise-like grip. Kim wrapped her arms around the Putty's, twisted them painfully out of joint, and then head-butted the creature so hard putty splattered into her hair. He fell into the folded seats, while Kim drove her heel into his chest. There was a sickening crunch, and the Malumbra beetle died.

Trini had never been an aggressive person, but fighting Putties seemed to come naturally to her now. As her Putty swung out with his spiked arm, she deflected the blow, elbowed him in the face, and looped her right leg around his. With a quick jerk, he fell to the ground in a heap. But the Putty was faster than she thought; in a heartbeat he'd rolled back to a standing position and lunged at her again. Trini caught the arm, jerked it forward, and drove her palm into his chest. Her fingers dug through the layers of putty, finding the crunchy parasite inside easily. In a second, putty splattered on the ground, and she turned to Kim.

"You do that so much fancier than me…" Kim noted casually, wiping the slime off of her hands.

"And yet you always look like you're having more fun." Trini pointed out.

Kim shrugged and retied her hair into its ponytail. "What can I say; I like hurting people."

Their conversation was cut short when a new sound met their ears. A loud scream pierced the air, and both girls ducked down behind cover again. Down on the grassy field, the Knight Zack described had teleported inside. He looked, and sounded, furious.

"Okay. Mission accomplished. Now what?" Kim whispered.

"Good question. We've still got a few hours until noon, maybe we should…"

"Someone call for the cavalry?"

Trini jumped as Zack interrupted her, sliding down next to her on the concrete ramp. Jason appeared behind Kim, and Billy came walking up the ramp the girls had entered through a second ago.

"What are you guys doing here?" Kim hissed, shooting a nervous glance at the Knight. He hadn't seen them, yet, and she wanted to keep it that way.

"Zordon and Alpha tracked your Coins and teleported us all close; that Knight-" Jason started to explain, but Zack cut him off.

"Knasty Knight."

"… the monster, just took a stroll through town. No one was hurt, but we want to put a stop to this now." Jason finished.

"Agreed. Shall we?" Trini asked, reaching for the necklace tucked into her shirt, with the glowing yellow orb attached to the end.

"Let's do it." Jason stood up and pulled out his own Coin. "It's morphin' time!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Saber Tooth Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

The change happened quickly, and the five teens leapt forward onto the grass as soon as the armor was formed. They landed in sync, all braced for combat with weapons ready.

Knasticulous whirled around at the sound, drawing his sword slowly. "It is not yet time, Rangers."

Zack took a brave step forward, Ax in hand, as he spoke. "Forget what time it is. We're putting you down, now!"

Knasticulous glared through the slits in his helmet at the Ranger, his fury rising with each passing second. He grasped his sword in both hands while dark lightning bolts danced off its serrated edge.

"As you wish."


	15. A Duel With a Knight

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

All six warriors charged forward, weapons raised and hearts pounding. Zack was the first one to meet the Knight, and brought his ax down in a swooping arc. It came down on the Knight's sword, and black lightning erupted from the blade.

The grass around them caught fire, and a stray bolt singed part of Billy's armor. In one quick move, Knasticulous whipped the sword around and sliced into Zack's stomach, or at least the armor covering it, and sidestepped another attack.

Jason lunged forward with his sword, intending to impale Knasticulous as he moved. Instead, the Knight grabbed Jason's sword and pulled him forward, slicing deep into the Ranger's chest. He kept walking and spun on his heel, turning to face the other three.

Kim fired a bolt from her bow, which only bounced off Knasticulous' armor. Billy spun his lance over his head, trying to slice into Knasticulous' helmet. Instead, he bent backwards, elbowed Billy's gloved hand to send the weapon flying, and grabbed Trini, who had snuck around behind him. He threw her forward into Zack, who had recovered, and the two went flying.

Billy dove for his lance, but Knasticulous caught him. He bent the armored arm back at a painful angle, and swung his sword again and again, chopping away at Billy's exposed side mercilessly. With one last blow, an explosion of black lightning engulfed Billy, who fell to the grass.

Kim fired bolt after bolt right into Knasticulous' helmet, but he always dodged just enough to avoid each one. Finally, he narrowed the gap between them enough to slash the bow out Kim's hands, grab her by the throat, and stab his blade deep into her chest. She fell to the ground just as Billy had.

Jason, seeing Kim going down, leapt to his feet with a rising fury of his own. He swung his own sword with blinding speed. But Knasticulous blocked every blow, sending showers of sparks and black lightning into the air around them. Jason leapt, spun, lunged and slashed faster and faster, desperate to land even a small blow on the Knight. None came even close. Knasticulous blocked and dodged every one before disarming Jason and ripping his sword through Jason's side.

Jason hit the grass with an audible thud, and the remaining two Rangers stood together.

"I'll distract him, try and get him in the space between his armored plates!" Zack ordered, charging forward again. But instead of meeting Zack, the Knight simply walked away. He saw through Trini's stealth, kicked her in the ribs hard enough to send her to the ground, and stabbed downward. He impaled her cruelly, making her scream pitifully.

With one gloved hand, Knasticulous caught Zack's throat and brought him close. When they were practically nose to nose, Knasticulous spoke.

"I challenged you honorably. You have failed. Your friends, your honor, and your city and now _mine_."

Knasticulous threw Zack backwards and teleported away in an instant. Zack hit the grass with a thud, already screaming. But it was too late. The Knight was gone, and the rest of the Rangers were lying motionless in the grass.

* * *

Kim slowly and painfully opened her eyes, blinking away the pain rapidly welling in her stomach. She fought the urge to cry out and tried to study her surroundings. She was on her back, resting on some sort of bed, with a dark, cavernous ceiling above her. Movement caught her eye, and she forced herself to focus on the shape above her.

"Be still, human. You are gravely injured." Alpha's mechanical voice sounded different to her; farther away, like through a tunnel. Finally, she was awake enough to come to her senses, and she remembered the battle. Or rather, the beating. 'Battle' seemed like the wrong word to use.

She looked around at the room and saw Jason lying nearby on another bed, with Billy and Trini farther off. Zack was sitting on a step, de-morphed like the rest of them, with his head in his hands. With a start, Kim realized he was crying.

"Zack…?" She moaned, her breath coming in fits.

Zack jerked up, his eyes red and his hand shaking. He practically crawled over to her and bent over her bed, rapidly looking her over for injuries.

"Kimberly? Kimberly I am so sorry, are you okay? Are you doing any better? I thought you were dead, I thought they…" He looked to the other beds, still stuttering and stammering wildly.

"I'm fine…" Kim lied, trying to sit up. Alpha forced her back down and moved to Jason's bed.

"I'm okay, Zack. I think. What happened?"

"We got slaughtered. That thing, that Knight, he just slaughtered us." Zack dropped down to another empty bed and took Kim's hand gently in his. He looked overjoyed that she was still alive, but terrified that she wasn't moving.

"Are the others…?" Kim started to ask, glancing over at Trini and Billy.

"They're alive. For now. Alpha said the Ranger armor protected us, but if that thing had gone a little deeper… hit a little harder…" Zack wiped his face with his hand and tried to go on.

"Trini's the worst by far. Her spine is shattered and her organs were shutting down when Alpha teleported us. Zordon's offline; he has to recharge or something, Alpha told me but I forgot…" Zack stuttered, tears welling in his eyes again.

"It's okay, Zack! We're alive, we're going to be…"

"No we're not! Don't tell me we're going to be okay!" Zack suddenly shouted. "Billy's lucky he didn't lose his arm. Alpha said the nano-things in our blood are healing us, and Alpha did something with the stuff he's got here, but you guys almost _died_! Jason's lung collapsed and one of his ribs is just gone. Gone. The little robot things are trying to re-grow the rib, and his lung, and a whole bunch of other stuff…"

Kimberly tried to talk again, but Zack interrupted. "And the worst part? I'm fine. I've got cuts and bruises. The Knight wanted me to be fine. He wanted me to watch you all die. He said I lost my friends, my honor, and now the city. I think he's going to kill people, a lot of people, and it's my fault! If I'd just faced him like he'd wanted…"

"You'd be dead, Zack! For real, dead! Stop worrying about us, we'll be fine. I think. Just calm down, and don't do anything stupid!" Kim ordered, squeezing his hand tightly.

"I second that motion…" Jason moaned. Zack practically jumped over Kimberly to run to his bed.

"Jason! You're alive!"

"Yes, I'm alive. But in pain." Jason said softly, holding his side.

Zack told him the same thing he'd told Kimberly, and he came to the same conclusion.

"We all did our best. We got beaten. Next time, we won't. That's all we can do." Jason said softly, grunting as he spoke. One arm was held to the gash in his side, while Alpha examined it with some sort of instrument.

"What about our families? How are we going to explain this?" Zack demanded.

"Animorphs."

From the other end of the room, Billy slowly sat up and flexed the muscles in his injured arm.

"Pardon?" Kim looked to Jason and Zack, but neither had a clue what he was talking about.

"Good book series I read when I was a kid. Five teenagers that had to save the world from evil aliens. They always told their parents that they were staying overnight at someone else's house. It worked for years." Billy explained.

Trini was still sleeping peacefully, while the other three rolled the idea over in their heads.

"That could work; I'll tell my parents that I'm spending the night at Trini's. They'll buy that." Kim plotted subtly.

"And Trini's at yours. I'm at Zack's, he's at mine..." Jason pointed as he spoke, assigning the bodies mentally. He stopped at Billy, who just grinned morbidly and hopped down from the bed.

"...And my parents don't give a crap. Try and avoid dropping my name; if anyone calls my place, they'll get a drunk guy answering the phone in his underwear."

The three teens looked down at their feet, embarrassed for some reason. Like they felt guilty for having families that loved them.

"Billy, where are you going?" Alpha asked in his own version of a 'concerned' voice. The blue ranger was headed for the command consoles in the center of the room, still holding his arm awkwardly.

"Show me how this stuff works. Something tells me your system is a little better quality than my phone and McDonald's wi-fi. It'll be easier to monitor stuff from here anyway. If you're alright with a human touching your stuff, that is." Billy asked, half serious as he sat down in front of the alien-looking computers.

Alpha looked to be on the fence about the decision, but one final look to Zordon's empty tube seemed to answer his unspoken question.

"Of course. Tell me, how do your Earth computers work in comparison? We have been cut off for quite some time."

The conversation faded as Zack turned back to the others, who were lying back down on their gurneys. After he was done groaning in pain, Jason spoke to his friend again.

"Go home, dude. We'll figure out how to call our families from here."

Zack started to argue, but realized he was right. He hadn't done anything but give himself a heart attack since they'd teleported back; there was no point in hanging around any longer.

"Yeah, I'll do that. Stay safe, man." He and Jason exchanged a quick fist bump, and he nodded to Kim.

"Yo, metal head. Beam me out." Zack shouted, waking Trini up in the process.

Alpha whispered something to Billy, who snorted a laugh and shook his head. "No, we need him alive. Just send him home."

The little robot had pressed the button before Zack could even ask what was so funny.

* * *

"Hey man. Rough day?"

"You could say that."

Zack smiled a little as he answered truthfully, spinning around a football in his hand. He was lying on his bed, replaying the day's events over and over again in his brain. He'd barely noticed when his brother had walked in.

"What can I do to help?"

Zack wanted nothing more than to spill the whole story. Everything, from the fight the night before, the long day of searching, and the slaughter in the football stadium. But no, that wouldn't help. It would only put Andre in danger.

"I... I don't know." Zack admitted, biting his lip hard.

Andre stared hard at his little brother, sitting on the edge of bed stiffly. After a long breath, he snatched the ball out of Zack's hands.

"Alright. I'm going to make some assumptions." Andre spun the ball in his own hands, faster and higher than Zack had. "You're in trouble. It has something to do with Jason Scott, and a few idiots from school. The problem is mostly your fault, and you're worried its going to wind up being Jason's problem unless you get it solved. How close am I?"

Zack fought the urge to throw up as he nodded stiffly.

"Okay. So. Who's the guy I gotta beat up?" Andre joked, but there was an edge of seriousness to it.

"I gotta do it myself." Zack answered quickly.

"I can understand that. Follow me."

Andre jumped up from the bed, throwing the football back to Zack with one hand. He stopped at the door, peeking back in when Zack didn't move.

"You coming?"

Out in the backyard, Andre kicked out of his shoes and stood barefoot in the tall grass. Arms folded over his chest, he waited for his brother to come out the sliding glass door.

A minute later, Zack was standing across from him, looking confused.

"Why are we out here?"

"To teach you how to solve your problem. Come on; swing a punch at me. Let me show you how it's done." Andre held up his hands in a boxing position, a gentle smile on his face.

In all the years Zack could remember his brother, he'd never felt more... grateful, than he did now. Or more sad, as he had to shoot down the idea.

"This guy... He doesn't fight with his hands." Zack argued slowly.

Andre raised an eyebrow and walked to the open garage door, emerging a minute later with two baseball bats. He tossed one to Zack, twirling the other around in his hand.

"Okay. This work?"

Zack held the bat by the shaft, looking between it and his crazy brother with a look of 'what the heck' on his face.

"What... why do we even have these? You hate baseball!"

"Because the balls I crack aren't bein' pitched. Now come on; tell me about this guy. How does he fight?" Andre demanded, still twirling the bat around in his hands.

Zack looked up at him for a long moment, before the idea finally clicked.

Knasty Knight was a bully with a baseball bat. That's all he needed to be right now. And Andre... he knew how to handle those.

Throwing the bat up into the air, Zack caught it by the handle and grinned.

"Wicked fast, and all elegant and crap. Like a knight in shining armor."

"Use a trashcan lid like a shield?" Andre asked knowingly.

Zack raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"How'd...?"

"Captain America. Got all the white boys riled up. Alright; take a swing at me."

Zack looked down at the weapon in his hand before shaking his head. "No, I don't want to hurt you!"

Andre raised an eyebrow as high as he could, folding his arms and shaking his head at the teenager. "Dude."

"When we lived in downtown Frisco, there were four gangs that held control of the area. Blacks, whites, Asians, and Mexicans. Four gangs, all ready to kill each other or even themselves if they felt like it. Now, obviously our parents didn't do jack, and the police were honestly too scared to go down to our hood after dark. So, who do you think kept our butts safe all those years?"

Now it was Zack's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"That's right. Me. With the bat you're holding. Now, take a swing at me so I can show you what you're doing wrong."

As soon as Andre was done talking, Zack halfheartedly swung the bat at his chest, missing by almost a foot as Andre stepped back. In response, Andre lightly cracked his own weapon against Zack's wrist, and Zack's bat flew through the air, straight into Andre's hand.

"Boom. You're dead." Andre touched the tip of his weapon to Zack's forehead for emphasis before tossing his bat back to him.

"So you're under the impression that this dude is invincible. He ain't." Andre started out, now slowly circling his brother, twirling his bat ominously.

"Ain't nobody on Earth that's invincible. Everyone goes down eventually. Now, when you're fighting with your fists, you want to take a hit every now and again. Reminds you you're human, builds pain tolerance. A guy who can take a hit is a good fighter and probably a winner. Fighting with these?" Andre held up the wooden baseball bat again before shaking his head.

"Totally different animal. You get with somebody's fist and you get a bruise, you get hit with a bat, and you get a cast. So you want to be fast. Faster than anyone you're fighting. Don't hit hard; this ain't the Major Leagues. Hit fast. Like this..."

Faster than the eye could follow, Andre lashed out at Zack's ankles, making Zack stumble back on reflex, tripping over a garden hose and landing on his butt.

"Boom. You're dead." Andre repeated the gesture, resting the tip of the bat on Zack's forehead lightly.

"Lesson number two. Watch your footing. This punk tells you to meet him in an alley at five? Find him in a parking lot at three. Never meet your enemy on his turf; do it on yours. Don't give him any advantage you don't have to."

"You actually did all of this? For real?" Zack interrupted, climbing to his feet as his brother paced again.

"No, dipstick, I watched Barney the purple dinosaur and played with dolls. What do you think?" While the first part was dripping with sarcasm, towards the end Andre's voice was ice cold.

"Lesson number three. Every hit is important. An ankle, a rib, a wrist; it all adds up. Don't make one haymaker hit to his head when you can make three to his body. Speed over power; no matter what. Got it?"

Zack nodded soberly.

"You ready?" Andre asked, eyes wide, twirling his bat again.

Zack nodded, holding his own weapon and blinking rapidly.

"Wrong. You ain't even close." Andre shook his head and walked up to his brother with an annoyed look, kicking at his tennis shoes to readjust them.

"Feet here, and here. Braced, and ready to move. The way you standing, you're about to fall on your butt before I even hit you. There." Satisfied, he turned to Zack's arms.

"No. This ain't baseball; get that through your head! Lower. There; ready to hit or defend. Good. Now let's go."

But before he even walked away, Andre looped a leg around Zack's and threw him to the ground deftly.

"Dude! I wasn't ready!" Zack snapped, rolling to his feet.

"Who the heck told you that life was fair? That your enemy would wait 'til you were ready? This is life. You are always ready. And you never stop fighting 'til you win."

The words of the black knight drifted back to Zack like an old song, winding its way through the back of his mind.

 _I challenged you honorably. You have failed. Your friends, your honor, and your city and now mine._

"What about honor?"

Andre looked like he'd stepped in something foul. "Honor? Who the heck told you fighting was about honor? You go to a kid lying in a hospital bed with every bone in his body broken, and you ask him about honor. You go to a kid starving in the street, and you ask him about honor. You go to a funeral where a momma is buryin' her son, and you ask her about honor." Andre snarled.

"Honor is for knights of the round table. We don't fight for honor; we fight for survival. You got that?"

Zack nodded stiffly, his heart racing as he gripped the bat again.

"Got it."

"Last lesson." Andre grinned. "That bat ain't your weapon."

Zack looked down at it curiously, not understanding the point.

"This..." Andre put a hand on his chest, his fingers resting against his tee shirt. "...is your weapon."

"...my heart?" Zack asked skeptically. Andre smacked him in response.

"No, dumb-crap. Your body. Your mind. You're never defenseless as long as you're alive. Your bat breaks? Use it like a spear. You lose it altogether? Find another. A warrior isn't his weapon; he's a force all his own. Now. Hit me."

Andre stepped back, twirling his bat expertly over his fingers. Behind him, the sun started to sink in the sky, and clouds drifted over the horizon, diffusing what light remained. As a few eager street lights kicked in, two bats cracked together.


	16. Knight's End

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

Knasticulous walked through the darkened city, wrapped in a long cloak to hide his appearance. To the outsider, he looked like just another denizen of the night, wandering to and fro on his errands.

He passed by many people on the street, most of whom were anxious to be back indoors or in shelter. The attacks had driven many brave people to cowardice; the world had been rocked to its core over the past few weeks.

Governments were brought to the negotiating table; lines in the sand were washed away. Petty arguments were forgotten in the face of this new threat.

Rita.

She'd made no secret of her intentions; broadcasting from her fortress on Mars, she'd shown the leaders of Earth just what fate befell those who challenged her. Those poor Astronauts they'd sent had undergone some... changes.

But it was all for the best. There was a war coming; an evil so great, even Rita herself was afraid. To best meet this threat, it would take all of the resources and armies this world could muster.

To that end, they would have to be brought to heel. Domination was a far better fate than extinction, after all.

As he crossed the street, absorbed by his thoughts, he didn't see the garbage truck coming until it hit him head on.

The metal crunched, the engine roared and then died, and the driver was nearly thrown from the cab. Screaming in fear and pain, he rolled out onto the pavement outside, looking up in shock at the man he'd hit.

Knasticulous merely blinked in annoyance.

"Fool. Go home, while you still have one."

With a final scream, the man tore off into the darkness.

"Hey!"

The word was so simple; so basic. It made Knasticulous roll his eyes in annoyance as he turned to face the source.

A lone teenager stood in the street, panting and snarling at him. Short hair, dark skin, a hooded sweatshirt and torn jeans. What a mighty threat...

"Who are you, human? Who are you to face your death with such impudence?"

 _Ain't nobody on Earth that's invincible. Everyone goes down eventually._

Zack Taylor didn't even blink; he just pulled the baseball bat out from behind his back.

"I'm the Black Ranger. And you're going down." Tossing the bat high into the darkened sky, Zack pulled out the shining black orb.

"Mastodon!"

A metallic gloved hand reached into the sky, catching the bat by the leather wrapped handle as it fell back to Earth. As he lowered his arm, the people around stared in awe at the armored, towering Ranger standing there in the street.

"Oh my. It's the honorless fool. Whatever shall I do..." Knasticulous unsheathed his sword and strapped his shield to his arm, his feet braced into the cracked asphalt.

"You can die." Zack's voice was ice cold as he faced the man, breaking into a run at the last second. Racing towards him, he spoke again as he held out his free hand.

"Power Ax!"

As he rushed past the knight, he swung bat and Ax at once into Knasticulous. Both blows glanced off of his shield, but Zack officially had his attention. The man turned and followed after him, the two dark figures running full speed down the street.

"Coward! Face me!"

 _Never meet your enemy on his turf; do it on yours. Don't give him any advantage you don't have to._

Zack raced on, taking a sharp turn into an alley he knew well. The same alley and Jason had once stood in...

"So, is this where you choose to die?" Knasticulous panted, twirling his sword around in his hand.

Zack turned to face his enemy, his back to a chain link fence and his weapons ready.

 _Every hit is important._

With a feral growl, Zack ran at the knight once more, this time headed straight for him. With ax and bat swinging at once, he slashed at head and arm simultaneously.

The knight's shield came up to block the blow from the ax, but the bat smacked squarely on his helmet, making a sound like a bell. Before he could recover, Zack was moving again, spinning around to bring the ax against the shield once more. The edge of the blade hooked onto the rim of the circular shield, and with another heave, the thing went flying away into the darkness.

"Fool! I'll kill you for that!" Knasticulous roared in anger, now holding his sword with both hands. He lunged forward, delivering lightning fast strikes to where he thought Zack was.

But Zack was a little too fast.

Stepping back and sideways, Zack managed to avoid the brunt of each blow. The sword sliced down his armor, but left only scratches in the steel.

As soon as he saw an opening, Zack thrust both of his weapons forward, hitting the man in the chest and knocking him back a step. Pressing the advantage, Zack ran forward and kneed him the crotch, cracked the bat against his wrist, and finished with a whirling strike with the ax to Knasticulous' chest.

With a deafening 'crack', Knasticulous' armor split open.

The ringing sound nearly shattered the glass windows above them; as it was, Zack was stunned at the sight.

He'd drawn blood.

Just a thin line of it, between the broken armor plates, but it was blood nonetheless. He had a chance.

But as Knasticulous recovered, a new fury rose in his chest.

"That was a mistake."

Yelling at the top of his lungs, the knight charged at Zack and nearly knocked him off of his feet. The bat went flying under a dumpster, the ax fell to the ground, and Knasticulous was standing over him.

He stabbed down into the fallen Ranger, and with his legs pinning Zack in place, the blade bit deeply into his armor.

Zack screamed in pain as the deadly weapon sank first into the steel, and then into his flesh. Skin and muscle parted, blood flowed, and bones snapped as the sword plunged all the way in.

"Bleed and die, worm!"

Ripping the sword free, he turned to leave the alley before he realized his mistake.

Zack wasn't alone.

"Zack!"

Jason's voice was strained to the point of breaking as he watched his friend lie motionless on the ground, blood dripping out of his wound. The teen gripped his own sword a little tighter as he focused his red-filled eyes on the man.

"Oh, look, the rest of the children Zordon drafted into his little army. Did he bother to tell you who I was? What I was?" Knasticulous was filled with adrenaline now, the scent of blood driving him to the point of madness.

He ripped off his helmet, exposing his fair skin and blood red eyes. With fury and fear, he looked into the eyes of his enemies.

"He's human?"

"How is that possible?"

"It doesn't matter." Billy snapped, standing beside Jason with lance in hand.

"This ends here."

With a resounding shout, the four teens ran forward with weapons drawn, desperate to tear the monster apart.

But Knasticulous, even wounded, was still a warrior. A warrior that had seen hundreds of battles; slain thousands of foes. He was no fool.

Bringing his sword around, he blocked Jason's thrust and kicked him aside, turning to face Billy's onslaught. Catching the lance in his free hand, he cut the weapon in half with his sword, letting the pieces clatter to the ground before slicing up to catch the teen's chest.

Trini and Kimberly ran forward, pink bolts of light flying past the stealthed ranger's daggers as they attacked. The arrows bounced off of the black armor, while Knasticulous backhanded the small girl, sending her flying back into Kimberly. The two fell to the ground, stunned from the blow.

Jason took a shot at his exposed back, slicing into the black armor as hard as he could. The blade tore through the outer layer, but stopped before it actually hit flesh.

Knasticulous whirled around and sliced into him with his own sword, making a shrieking sound as the blades collided. Jason held his ground, for now, but was being pushed back as Knasticulous pushed forward.

All the while, Zack lay on the ground, panting as the nanites in his blood frantically worked to repair the horrific damage. The bleeding stopped and the flesh was sutured together, but he was far from healed.

 _Last lesson. That bat ain't your weapon._

Andre's words drifted back to his mind, rattling around like a tennis ball in the dryer.

He'd lost.

His friends were going to die.

 _A warrior isn't his weapon. He's a force all his own._

All at once, his brain caught up to his broken body. Grunting in pain, Zack sat up and spotted something rolling out from under the dumpster.

The bat.

Jason fought on, swinging and blocking as fast as he could, managing to hold his own against the ancient warrior. Each blow landed like lighting striking an anvil, sending sparks raining down onto the dark asphalt. Finally, they locked swords, each straining to break the other's grip.

Through the visor, Jason locked eyes with the knight, snarling in pain and anger as he pushed forward, trying to bring his sword down lower, just a little lower...

Knasticlous laughed insanely, letting his own blade fall, luring the teen into a false sense of victory. Just as it seemed Jason was going to force the sword out of his hand, Knasticulous snapped the blade down, letting Jason's sword sink into the asphalt, where it stuck fast.

Whipping the sword around, Knasticulous sliced into Jason's throat, sending blood and steel flying into the air.

Jason's still form fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Zack watched in horror, and the world seemed to stop.

Trini and Kimberly were screaming.

Billy was struggling to the stand up, fumbling with his broken weapon.

Jason...

Jason was dying...

 _A warrior isn't his weapon. He's a force all his own._

"Enough!"

Lunging forward, Zack held the old baseball bat like an ax, swinging at Knasticulous like a crazy ball-player. The knight easily deflected the blow, his sword slicing the wood nearly in half.

A long, jagged shard fell to the pavement, clattering slowly as hit the ground.

Zack was left holding a broken shard of a bat, with his heart pounding.

But as Knasticulous swung, he left himself open. His chest.

The armor was cut open on his chest.

Zack gripped the broken bat as tight as he could, stabbing the monster in the chest with all his might.

The broken, jagged piece of wood dug deep into Knasticulous' flesh until it reached his heart.

Time stopped once more as the two locked eyes.

"Well... done..." Knasticulous grunted, blinking rapidly as the message reached his brain.

He was dying.

Soundlessly, he fell to the ground with his sword still in hand.

Zack fell backwards, landing beside Jason in a pool of blood. Frantically, he clawed his way over to his friend, the gloved fingers touching the spot where Jason's throat had been cut.

"Jason..."

The others crawled over, crying or screaming in shock as they watched Jason's motionless form lying there on the ground.

"Alpha! Get us out of here!"

They were barely aware of Billy's call for help, or the teleportation that followed. But suddenly, they were back in the command center, and Alpha was rushing to their side.

"Rangers! Move aside!"

The robotic voice appeared out of nowhere, urging them to move as he pulled some strange instrument out of his belt. A purple light washed over Jason, and the Ranger armor melted away. Almost without them noticing, the other Rangers powered down as well.

A long, bloody gash was plain visible on Jason's flesh as the steel faded away. Blood ran down his neck and pooled on the cold floor as Alpha worked.

"He's in shock; his heart has stopped! I need to restart it!" Alpha almost sounded panicked as he worked on the boy, while the four teens sat nearby, holding each other as they watched in horror.

A small, circular device was placed onto Jason's chest while Alpha burned away at the flesh on his neck, sealing and cauterizing the wound as best he could. As soon as the wound was closed, the device on his chest sent a strong pulse through his body.

"Still no heartbeat! Recharging!"

Alpha pressed a button on the top of the thing, but a tiny spark shot out at his touch. With a disturbing silence, it rolled off of Jason and hit the floor.

"No no no! Humans!" Alpha kicked the device aside and placed his hands on the still chest of their friend.

"I need your assistance! We need to resuscitate him!"

Somehow, Kimberly crawled forward, wiping away her tears with the heel of her hand.

"I took a lifeguard job last summer; I know CPR!" She gasped out the explanation as she knelt by Jason's head, pinching his nose closed and looking to Alpha for direction.

"When I signal!" He pressed his robotic hands to Jason's chest and started compressing, moving the ribs up and down with mechanical precision.

"Now!"

Kimberly bent over and put her mouth to his, breathing in as hard as she could.

Again, Alpha pumped at Jason's chest.

"Now!"

Again, Kimberly breathed into his lungs.

As Zack watched, his own heart began to race. Jason... He couldn't be...

They all jumped a foot in the air as Jason's body stiffened and convulsed, a ragged breath escaping his mouth as his eyes popped open.

"Human! You live!" Alpha squealed, jumping away as the others crawled over to him, laughing and crying as they held him.

Behind the laughing, sobbing mess of humanity, the gigantic tube slowly came to life.

Zordon's face appeared once more, his eyes blinking as he watched the scene unfold.

"Rangers! What has happened?" His voice boomed around the dark chamber, making them all jump a little.

Blinking slowly, Jason tried to speak as Kimberly held his head up.

"I... I don't know..."

"We won." Zack cut in. Wiping a tear away from his eyes, he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. "It's over."

* * *

Hours passed as the rangers recuperated, slowly healing and decompressing from the battle. Jason was unconscious, and even with Alpha and his own nanites working hard, he was in bad shape. According to the little robotic man, he'd have a scar for sure.

Billy was the least injured of the little party, still working on the alien computers as if nothing had happened. Squinting out at the screens and buttons, only the most observant would have noticed him slowly remove his glasses, look at them skeptically, and then set them aside altogether.

The nanites did have their perks, after all.

Trini and Kim sat clutching each other, trying to catch their breath and staring hard at Jason, as if mere willpower would bring him back to them. His chest rose and fell softly, and they found themselves counting the ragged breaths.

Zack sat alone on the steps of the little platform, eyes staring into empty air, gripping the broken bat for all he was worth. Blood covered the jagged end of it; he barely remembered pulling it free from the corpse of his enemy.

Tiny little grooves were now embedded in the wooden handle where his gloved fingers had gripped it. How he would explain this to his brother, he didn't even want to think about. For now, there was only one thing on his mind.

It was over.

The black knight was dead.

* * *

"No!" A banshee like wail echoed down the halls of the empty command center. Malumbra beetles froze in fear, and the very shadows seemed to hunker in the corners, waiting for the forgotten queen's wrath to die.

"No, no no no!" An ancient vase was thrown across the room, which shattered against the wall into a thousand pieces.

Huffing and sobbing, Rita turned to the viewing globe in the middle of the room. With cloudy tears running down her weathered face, she focused its view on the still warm corpse of her champion.

Her friend.

Her adopted son.

There he lay, motionless, where the Rangers had struck him down without mercy.

"Knasticulous..." The word sounded hollow on her lips as she stared at the screen's poor recreation of him. With a shaking fist, she pounded on the controls.

A white light formed in the middle of the room, and when it faded, the knight's broken form appeared in its place. Lying in a pool of his own blood, Rita sobbed again as she saw his still open eyes.

"My friend... forgive me..."

* * *

"Rangers!"

Alpha's voice startled all of them, including Jason. Rising from his bed, he said nothing but looked alert enough.

The robotic servant rushed to the viewing globe and keyed up an image that made all of their blood run cold.

Knasticulous.

He was back.

"What? No! That's impossible!" Zack shouted, paling as he turned back to the bloody bat. Yes, it was still there. That hadn't been a part of the nightmare; it was real. And yet...

"He's headed for the city. We have to stop him." Billy said dryly, reaching for his power coin.

"How? We barely stopped him the first time!" Kim shrieked. Turning to Zordon, she was on the verge of tears as she searched for an answer.

Zordon himself sighed deeply, blinking as he looked down at the Rangers.

"Truly, Rita is desperate to turn to such dark measures. She is no longer the woman I once knew."

The words sounded strange as they came from the speakers in the room; almost like a ghost was reminiscing about the past. But as soon as it came, it passed.

"You will need all of your newfound strength to defeat this foe."

"We already tried that, tube-head!" Zack snapped, pointing at his macabre weapon. "What do you want us to do?"

Oddly enough, it was Billy who had the answer. "We work together."

All four of the teens turned to him with looks of 'Really?' written on their faces.

"Hear me out." Billy tapped another command on the control board beside him, and the viewing globe changed once more. A schematic appeared in amazing detail, showing some new kind of weapon.

"The Power Cannon. Found the blueprints a half hour ago." He explained sheepishly. Flicking the hair out of his eyes, he stood up and walked over to the rest of them. "If we combine our weapons, we have a chance. All we need is a weak spot."

"The chest." Zack spit out, the memory coming to him at once. "I slashed through the armor in his chest."

They all turned again to the viewing globe, which had reverted back to tracking the dark knight. He marched through the desert, armor bent and blackened, eyes glowing red as he walked on. Sword in hand, blood drained, and an aurora of malevolence they could sense even from where they stood.

He'd been scary before. Now...

He was terrifying.

"You really think we have a chance?" Kim asked hesitantly.

Billy nodded and shrugged off the question. "More of a chance than the police."

"Together."

The voice was so scratchy, no one recognized it at first. As they followed the source, Jason rubbed a hand across his throat experimentally. The long gash was sealed, for now, but still uglier than a horror movie victim.

"Together." Zack echoed.

As one, they pulled out their coins once more. A somber, desperate tone filled the air as the five words were spoken again.

"Mastodon."

"Pterodactyl."

"Triceratops."

"Saber Tooth Tiger."

"Tyrannosaurus!"


	17. Dawn's Light

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

* * *

Nothing could stop him now.

That was the only thought in Knasticulous' shattered mind. He was unstoppable.

His Lady was gone.

His enemies were gone.

His mission was gone.

Only one word remained.

Destroy.

And destroy he would.

Dark magic flowed through his veins instead of blood, coursing through him like a river of darkness. Red light spilled out of his eyes as he stared out at the dark desert. Not a proud, flaming red; more dark, sinister, consuming reddish purple. No one would mistake this man for a hero.

He was evil incarnate.

But as he walked on, something impossible happened. A memory drifted back in front of his eyes.

Rita.

Beautiful, kind, loving Rita, standing in her palace. She was leading her army, sending them off to battle against Zordon's soldiers. They'd been fighting for days on end with little food or sleep.

But as she stood there in the circle of computers and ragged soldiers, there was one word that burned in their minds and souls.

Hope.

Hope of a better tomorrow. A better future for their children and their children's children. No more tyranny, no more corruption, no more Grand Senate to write off their lives like so much paperwork. She had a vision of a new future, where the people ruled the people. Where the royalty were a memory.

Where hope would survive.

But as soon as the memory flashed before Knasticulous' eyes, it was replaced with something far more recent.

A withered, bitter old woman chanting methodically over a skull with glowing eyes. Smoke. Whispers. Pain...

And now he was unstoppable.

Only one thing didn't quite fit:

Rita had cried as she sent him away for the last time. But that wasn't important now.

Shadows danced in the darkness, and soon, five shapes materialized. Familiar shapes...

"Rangers!" Knasticulous roared in fury, waving his sword in the air, welcoming the chance to destroy the source of his pain.

Under the armor, under the macho exterior, Zack Taylor was frightened.

"Ready, guys?" He asked slowly.

Trini and Kim pulled out their weapons, Billy separated his lance, and Jason nodded firmly. This was it.

"Power Cannon, online!" Zack shouted, the computers in their suits waiting for that exact phrase.

Following the prompts in his visor, Zack pulled out his ax and slid the weighted grip down the shaft. Holding it out in front of him, he waited as Kim stepped forward.

Snapping her bow to the front of his new rifle, she ducked out of the way as Billy slid the two halves of his lance into position. Trini was next, slamming her daggers onto the bow as she stared at the enemy advancing on them.

With the Knight now only a few yards away, Jason placed his sword on top of the strange contraption, while Zack steadied it against his shoulder.

"Brace him! This thing's got a kick!" Billy shouted into the radio.

With Billy and Trini on one side and Jason and Kim on the other, Zack aimed for their one chance at success. He drew a bead on the exposed flesh of the man's chest.

"Get ready!" Billy warned. All four of them braced their legs in the sand, with their hands on each other's shoulders.

"You will all die!" Knasticulous roared one final time, breaking into a run towards them.

"Just you." Zack hissed. His finger found the hidden trigger of their new weapon, and he slowly pulled it back with all the force he could find.

Five beams of light erupted from the cannon, and all five Rangers immediately felt the shock of it. Their feet dug deep into the sandy clay, while their visors tried in vain to block out the blinding light. The air sizzled and burnt away, while their ears registered only white noise.

Finally, the burst of energy was over, and they blinked until their vision returned.

When their eyes focused again, they all stared hard at the same spot...

Knasticulous was still standing.

But before a single cry of disbelief came, he started to wobble on his heels, before falling back to the ground. Metallic armor crashed against the scorched earth, while his decaying flesh started to disintegrate.

"We did it! That was so easy!" Kim shouted for joy, hugging Jason and then Zack as she watched the warrior fall.

"Don't say that!" Zack snapped, lowing the massive cannon to the ground. He couldn't rip his gaze from the spot where Knasticulous had fallen. Could it really be that simple...?

The answer came swift and mercilessly. A portal opened above the corpse, with that same corrupting red glow around the burning edges. Out of this hole in space, gray slime poured like a fountain of mucus.

"Zordon! We've got a problem!" Billy held a hand to his ear as he spoke into the radio, watching in horror as the slime covered Knasticulous' still form.

"What is it, Billy?"

Far too quickly, the pile of slime started to grow. And grow.

And grow.

"Beam us back, now!"

Five lights illuminated the darkened desert, and the five Rangers were standing back in the command center again.

Billy was the first to turn to Zordon, not bothering to power down this time.

"Something's happening to Knasticulous' body; there's putty coming out of some kind of portal!"

Zordon's face fell immediately, and Alpha ran into sight.

"If Rita manages to make him grow like she did the other monster, he would be nearly unstoppable!" He shrieked, looking ready to blow a fuse as he raced around the command center.

"The Zords." Jason choked out, leaning on the consoles as he spoke.

"Jason is right. You will need them to survive the coming battle. But Rangers..." Zordon stopped short as he looked sadly down at them. "This will require all your strength and will. Truly, it will be your hardest challenge yet."

"We've driven Zords before." Zack snapped, already anxious to be back into the action.

"Not like this. You will need to combine them if you have any hope of defeating Knasticulous!" Alpha argued, looking up at Zack with an annoyed glow to his sensors.

"Combine them? What do you mean?" Kim demanded.

"When the Zords were first constructed, a fail-safe mechanism was built into their cores. If ever the challenge was too great, or the danger too high, the Zords would come together and form the Megazord. However, this Megazord would require all of your concentration and willpower to master. A single mistake, a moment of distraction, and the Megazord will destabilize. You could all be killed."

Silence reigned as they thought about this, before Jason forced himself to speak once more.

"Isn't even the smallest chance of victory enough of a reason for us to keep on fighting?"

The words stirred them all to their cores, and Billy nodded to Alpha stiffly.

"Do it."

Alpha sighed and pressed the command on the computer, sending them back to the desert in a flash of multicolored light.

"Good luck, rangers."

* * *

As the five teens touched down once more, they looked up at the monstrosity forming above them.

Knasticulous, or some poor shadow of him, was now as tall as Atir had been. Putty wrapped around him, giving him a strange, unearthly look as he slowly stepped forward, towards their city.

"We..." Jason coughed hard, and Zack put a hand on his shoulder.

"I got this."

Jason nodded in thanks, and Zack finished the call.

"We need Dinozord power, now!"

In an instant, five ancient war machines rose from their slumber.

An earsplitting roar erupted as the Tyrannosaurus clawed his way free from the cavern, lava spilling around him.

A long, chilly blast of air shot into the sky as the Mastodon rolled over the icy plains.

Desert sand was blown away as the Triceratops rolled into sight, charging towards the extraction point.

Wildlife wisely moved aside as the yellow predator stalked through the trees, racing past at dizzying speeds.

The volcano erupted once more, and the Pterodactyl rose into the sky over confused and angry and villagers below.

Five flashes of light later, the Rangers fell into the ancient cockpits and took the controls.

"Let's hit this guy with everything we have!" Zack shouted into the radio. With Jason silent, he took to leadership like a duck to water.

"Kim, get out in front of that thing and aim for the eyes! Trini, focus on that sword in his hand! Get it away from him, if you can! Billy, lock those harpoon things into his back and try to slow him down! Jason, you're with me."

Licking his lips and flexing his fingers, Zack readied himself for the next part of the plan.

"I'll knock him down; you finish the job. Together, we can end this guy."

"What about the Megazord?" Billy asked, more than a little annoyed that Zack was going off the reservation.

"Only if have to. Zordon ain't all knowing; we may be able to do this without risking our necks." Zack shot back.

All of the Zords rolled into position at Zack's command, tearing through the desert as Knasticulous rumbled forward.

Kim flew at top speed before banking around, focusing her guns on the giant's head. Firing away, pink bolts of light shot out, tearing into the putty like ants dive-bombing an elephant.

Trini urged her tiger forward, locking her eyes on the sword in the knight's hand. With a tell-tale butt wiggle, the cat leapt through the air to chomp down on the monstrous hand.

Billy grudgingly fired harpoons into the back of the creature, throwing his Zord into reverse as soon as he made contact.

Zack's Mastodon rushed forward, rumbling over hills and canyons to get in front of the threat. Finally swerving around, Zack stared hard at the man who'd tormented him the past few nights.

"Time to end this."

He punched the gas, and the Mastodon shot forward, tusks impacting putty-filled legs.

The Mastodon roared in fury as it pushed, and for a moment, it looked like Zack's plan might work.

But then reality caught up to them.

Kim's machine gun fire was absorbed harmlessly into the alien slime. The giant could still see very clearly as Trini launched herself at his arm; he caught the cat by the throat and threw her away effortlessly.

Billy's harpoons did bite into meat, but as soon as he started to back up, the tips of the harpoons ripped free and took a long line of slime with them.

Zack's assault merely slowed him as he walked forward; he was far from stopping. Just as Zack realized his mistake, a new player jumped into the game.

Jason.

The Tyrannosaurus Zord jumped into the air, its teeth sinking into Knasty Knight's shoulder, legs flailing away. In a split second, they massive rear legs found purchase in the giant's back, and his teeth dug even deeper in.

"Poor fools."

The voice made a sonic boom as it rushed across the desert; only the speaker could hear or understand himself. It didn't matter; his point was made clear soon enough.

With one hand, he grabbed Jason's Zord and began to pry the steel jaws open, inch by inch. A massive leg reared back, and the monster's knee hit the Mastodon square in the head.

It rolled back and nearly tipped over as the Tyrannosaurus again soared overhead; this time to crash into the rocks below.

"Well crap." Zack almost laughed as he realized what he'd said out of habit.

They were losing, and he had no idea what to do.

"Zack! Megazord!" Billy shouted, firing a barrage of laser bolts from his own Zord. He and Kim were still firing away, but Knasticulous ignored them completely.

"What do I do?"

"Punch the red button!"

"There are like, a thousand..." Zack stopped short as he spotted one button in particular, enclosed in glass and with a dozen warning labels written around it.

"...buttons..." Clenching his fist, Zack pounded his fist through the glass, and the button sank into the metal console.

All at once, his Zord rumbled to life, the mechanisms and motors cranking into a higher gear.

The transformation had begun.

With a final trumpet of defiance, the Mastodon rolled forward, its entire head sliding back onto its spine.

All of the other Zords received the command and rushed in, each one performing its part perfectly. The Triceratops and Saber Tooth Tiger slid on their bellies up to the front of the Mastodon, with hidden ball and socket joints popping out and fusing to ports in the massive black Zord.

The Tyrannosaurus sprinted up, roaring for all it was worth before plowing into the waiting Mastodon. Its chest fused with the rear of the black Zord, and the conglomeration of metal and power started to rise.

With the blue and yellow Zords becoming feet and legs, the Mastodon and Tyrannosaurus soon began to resemble a chest and head.

"Coming in, I guess!" Kim shouted a warning as her own Zord flew in, transforming mid air before slamming into the chest of the Megazord, just before the Tyrannosaurus' head split in two. The first half lowered into the chest cavity, while the other grew horns and a sort of face.

The Pterodactyl connected with the rest of the creation, forming a chestplate, while the hind legs of the red Zord became arms.

The Megazord was born.

All five Rangers were transported to a new cockpit, with room for all five to stand beside one another. Long tendrils came down from the ceiling, snaking into the back of their helmets. Their visors lit up with new information as the Megazord came to life for the first time in eons.

"Holy cow..."

"This is incredible!"

"It worked."

Billy and Zack locked eyes for a moment, beneath their armored visors, and a grin formed on both their faces.

"Uh, guys? Monster on the loose here!" Kim's panicked voice interrupted the unspoken truce, bringing them all back to the present.

On the massive screen in front of them, the five teens spotted Knasticulous in all his monstrous glory. Grinning from ear to ear, he stepped towards the Megazord with sword drawn.

"How do we control this thing? I don't see an instruction manual anywhere!" Zack demanded, frantically looking around for some sort of joystick.

"Thought." Billy said simply. "Zordon said we had to concentrate and focus our will. It's a telepathic thing."

"And how do we do that?" Trini shot back, already bracing herself for impact.

Before anyone could answer, the Megazord rumbled to life, assuming Trini's stance in the sand perfectly. Legs planted, arms up, and eyes locked on target.

"Whoa... you mean we just...?" Zack swung one of his arms, and the Megazord threw a perfect replica of the punch in real time.

"That's what Zordon meant! If we aren't careful, we'll tear this thing apart trying to control it at the same time!" Billy shouted, the idea finally clicking into place.

"Guys."

Jason's voice made them all stop cold; Knasticulous was here.

The monster raised his sword high into the sky, high enough to swat down a small plane, and brought it crashing down towards the Megazord's head. Air split and clouds were dispersed as the blade came down, straight for the motionless warrior.

At the last second, all five teens held their hands up, the thought drifting through each of their panicked minds. As soon as the thought formed, the Megazord responded, and the massive arms deflected the blow.

The black blade sank into the sand, creating a massive scar in the earth where it fell.

"Okay. We got this!" Zack said, giddy with adrenaline. "We just move at the same time!"

"How?" Kim asked, looking to him like he was insane.

" _Like this."_

Jason's voice echoed in all of their minds, and one singular thought followed.

 _Kick._

As one, the Rangers kicked out with their left legs, and the Megazord dutifully obeyed. The Triceratops' limb shot out, and impacted Knasticulous' arm at the elbow.

Putty splattered, and the sword remained planted where it had fallen.

" _Awesome!"_

" _We're telepathic?"_

" _Don't think about naked girls, don't think about naked girls..."_

" _I'm hungry."_

" _Focus."_

Again, Jason's voice brought them together, and another action came through their new bond.

 _Grab the sword._

With the right 'hand', the Megazord reached out and stole Knasticulous' weapon, ripping it free as it charged forward, knocking into the already injured warrior.

Screaming in rage, Knasticulous grabbed his foe in both hands, trying to wrestle the blade out of the teens' hands. But powerful as Knasticulous was, he wasn't just fighting one teenager in a dark alley.

He was fighting five.

The Megazord's foot slammed down on his own, the elbow came up into his face, and the sword was brought up to shoulder height, held like the weirdest little baseball bat you ever saw.

" _Batter up."_

Before Knasticulous could process what he was seeing, the sword sliced through the air, cutting deeply into his chest. Yet more putty flew into the air, spraying the Megazord with the foul substance.

Pressing the advantage, the Megazord grabbed him with its free hand, spinning the sword around in its other to stab back into his stomach.

At the last second, Knasticulous caught the blade in his hands, nearly losing his putty-filled fingers in the process.

"No! I can't be beaten!" He shouted, this time not caring who heard him.

"Yes, you can."

The Megazord found its voice, the sound of five teenagers speaking in unison sounding from hidden speakers.

As the black blade inched ever closer to his heart, he fought as hard as he could to escape. His legs flailed, he squirmed in the metal man's grip, he pushed as hard as he could against his own sword...

But it wasn't enough.

As the blade sank into his chest and found the core of his being, his old body, that faint memory danced into view once more.

His queen, Rita. Beautiful, kind, loving...

As she faded, so too did he.

His eyes closed for the last time, and gray slime fell to the desert below.


	18. A New Army

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, settings, or terminology associated with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I own only the plots and stories I myself create. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have not created or modified any character in this story for the purpose of inserting myself or any other individuals into the story. They are merely characters used in the telling of this story.**

 **Author's Note: I haven't included much in the way of an introduction on the chapters so far; I felt like the story told itself. I did want to make a mention here that I thoroughly enjoyed writing these characters and creating a world where they are all at home, and in completely different lights. A slight technical note; when Rita and Zordon are arguing in the Palace, try and imagine something like the Senate from Star Wars. I did my best to describe the picture in my head, but puts it far more simply.**

* * *

 **20,000 years ago...**

Startlingly white columns rose all around in the entryway of the grand hall. Underfoot, polished marble echoed any faint sound that entered the room. As it was, the whispers of the various politicians and royalty were carried through the still air, threatening to drive the newcomer mad with the sound.

Rita Repulsa: Princess of Archaelun.

Her white robes trailed off around her ankles, while a hood covered her sparkling red hair. Large, curious eyes eagerly took in the sight of the palatial building, and the men and women occupying it.

"Rita! It is good to see you away from the front lines!"

The princess jumped slightly at the sound, turning with a smile to her old friends.

"Demy, Diva; it's been too long!" Rita exclaimed, pulling back her hood as Diva wrapped her in a bear hug.

The twins wore similar white robes as members of the council, with delicate masks covering their faces. Diva immediately lowered her own to reveal a beaming smile.

"Far too long. Tell me, how many robotic retards have you slaughtered this time?"

Demy rolled her eyes at the remark, choosing a slightly more politically correct tone of voice. "The Machine Empire is nothing to joke about, Diva."

Rita laughed as they got into their millionth argument, cutting them off before it came to blows again.

"Too many to count! Is the council in yet?"

The twins nodded in unison, looking almost comical in their movements. For twenty years, they'd been inseparable, despite the childish bickering. No matter what happened, they were a team for all eternity. Rita personally hoped that it would never change.

"Been in there for hours... Don't you love long meetings?" Diva said sarcastically, not caring who heard her. A few other nobles passing by caught her tone of voice, but between her stunning beauty and fiery temper, Diva pretty much did whatever she wanted.

"They're for the good of all Domum, Diva. You know that. A better question; is our favorite prince in town?" Demy pressed, her eyebrows going up and down tauntingly.

Rita blushed and looked away quickly, folding her arms over her chest. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Demy and Diva were perfectly in sync as they raised their eyebrows and shot her a skeptic look.

"Come on, Rita! We all know you're hot for a certain Prince of Eltar..." Demy nodded over Rita's shoulder, right as the man of the hour walked in through the massive swinging doors.

Zordon.

"Zor!" Diva waved a gloved hand at him, earning a warm smile from the handsome man.

As he made his way over, Rita couldn't help but admire him once again. Tall, muscular but not bulky, with wavy blond hair and sparkling purple eyes. It was rare among their kind; the purple usually signified a great destiny of some kind. Rita wouldn't have cared if his eyes were glowing red...

She was in love with him.

"Well, if it isn't the most beautiful women in the galaxy!" Zordon laughed, smiling as he looked to each woman in turn.

"Tell me again, Zor, which one of us is prettier?" Diva asked, waving between her sister and herself dramatically.

The prince looked to the ceiling, feigning deep thoughts as he stroked his chin just as dramatically.

"I'd have to say it's a tie, broken only by a certain princess I know." He shot a sideways look at a blushing Rita, who was currently studying her shoes very carefully.

"We're a team, Zordon. You know we can't afford to be more." Rita reminded him.

Zordon scoffed and wrapped her and Demy in a close hug, laughing softly as he answered.

"So what? I'm not allowed to speak my mind? Isn't that one of our rights as citizens of the empire?"

Before anyone could correct him on his grasp of Imperial law, a massive bell tolled above them. The recess was over; the various princes, princesses, and other politicians started moving back into the cooler interior of the building.

Zordon and Rita walked side by side after a quick goodbye to the twins, both fighting for the nerve to say what was really on their minds.

"You're going to bring your request to the council?" Zordon finally asked, already knowing the answer. The reluctance in his voice, as well as the slightest hint of condescension infuriated Rita like nothing else.

"You're really going to ask? People are dying, Zor! And it's our fault!"

Zordon sighed and looked to the ceiling again as they walked into the darkened corridors. In a moment, they'd have to go their separate ways as they headed for their own platforms.

With a questioning stare, Rita looked to her friend until he vanished behind a corner, never getting an answer. She tried to put it our of her mind; she had other things to worry about now.

The council chambers were spacious, luxurious, and filled to the brim with arrogant leaders of the free galaxy. All were pampered and proper, never dreaming of doing or saying half the things Rita had in the last week.

It made her sick.

As she approached her own podium, the lights slowly came up to reveal the faces around her.

Emperor Chalka; pale and old, never having seen a battlefield in his life.

Empress Alauna; a former warrior in her own right, and the last thing many enemies of the empire had ever seen.

Beside them, almost countless princes and princesses stood in their own alcoves, representing their own worlds. Rita represented all of Archaelun, but unfortunately, she had other duties. Duties that carried her to worlds that had no royalty reigning over them, trying to protect them.

It was for them that she stood today, with butterflies in her stomach and anger in her heart.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the court. We have gathered to hear the appeal of the Princess of Archaelun. Is there any here that challenge her right to speak?" Emperor Chalka asked, as was his custom. There was the usual silence, and Rita spoke up.

"Emperor; empress. I am here today to appeal to your generosity and sense of justice." Rita boldly stated. With the touch of a button, a large hologram appeared in the center of the room.

Men and women were fleeing a series of bombers, taking shelter in the ruins of their city. Stone columns and walls were blasted to pieces as Machine Empire fighters tore through the sky, rushing off to fight an unseen foe.

"These people are dying today, ladies and gentlemen. They need our assistance; not tomorrow, not next week, but now. Before any more lives are lost." Rita's tone was cold and hard as she spoke, her eyes never leaving the holographic faces of those refugees in front of her.

"Princess Rita, we have discussed this before." Chalka said, sounding almost bored as he responded. "We have already dispatched a sizable force with Prince Zedd; his garrison is..."

"Doing a remarkable job of turning the Machine Empire's army. I admit this." Rita interrupted, drawing a few stares as she did. "But that doesn't do a thing for those caught in the crossfire. They're starving, Emperor. They don't need bombs; they need food and medicine."

A few murmurs of agreement met her ears; unfortunately, there were far more voices against her.

"Preposterous!"

A man Rita knew well spoke up, leaning against his elbow as he listened to the speech. As he stood up, Rita fought the urge to sneer.

Rito, her half brother, was the epitome of everything Rita hated in life. Arrogance, luxury, apathy; he would have kicked a puppy if it got him another credit in his vault. It made Rita sick.

"We all know that Prince Zedd needs all the resources we have to finish the construction of his fleet! The new Serpent class warships might be the turning point in this war!" Rito shouted, drawing more than a few murmurs of approval.

Rita fumed, trying desperately to turn the argument back towards the people of KO-35.

"These people matter, ladies and gentlemen of the council. They matter just as much as you or I." Rita shot this last remark at her half-brother, who only rolled his eyes.

"If we're not fighting this war for them, then who are we fighting it for?"

"Survival."

This time, it was a much more familiar voice that spoke up.

Zordon.

"We fight for our survival. As much as I would like to, we cannot commit to policing and protecting the entire galaxy! If we try, it may mean the end of the empire." Zordon explained ominously. But before Rita could think of a comeback, Zordon went on.

"The fact of the matter is, our resources and infrastructure are at the breaking point. If we decide to send humanitarian aid to the people of KO-35, we won't be able to send those same ships with war supplies to Prince Zedd! The choice is clear." Zordon said with finality.

Rita thought hard for a good retort; a logical way to prove her point. Unfortunately, none came.

"Don't you mean 'Lord' Zedd?" Rita sneered. "The man is an egotist and a power monger. He wastes resources, sacrifices his own men, and institutes a scorched earth policy on every scrap of land he takes from our enemy! I would rather see the people of KO-35 survive another day than Zedd be given another army to squander!"

"Princess Rita!" Empress Alauna's voice rose as she stood, her face red with anger. "We do not permit the attack of anyone's character in this council! Make your point without these senseless and baseless accusations!"

Rita fumed at the reproof, and her loving brother stepped in for the killing blow.

"Maybe my dearest sister is anxious to have another world added to her domain. She seems to have abandoned Archaelun's interests in her quest for power."

Now, the murmurs were louder than the pounding in Rita's ears. There were tens of thousands of people on KO-35 that were going to die, all because her own government was blind. She couldn't stand it.

"There are innocent people out there, dying, right now! What good is beating the Machines if we lose what we are fighting for in the process?" Rita fairly screamed, gripping her stone podium with white knuckles.

"We'd still have each other." Zordon answered calmly, his eyes gentle as he looked to the woman he loved.

"If we send those supplies to KO-35, Prince Zedd will lose this war, and no one will be left to plead the cause of these people. We have to win; for their sake, and ours."

"What is the point of winning if there's no one left to celebrate?" Rita snapped. "Ever since we found out that we weren't alone in this universe, we have been at war! Centuries have passed, and still, we are at war! It's time to take a new approach, before we are alone once again!"

"If we give our lives protecting these strangers today, who will protect them tomorrow?" Zordon asked, his own temper starting to fail.

Breathless and red in the face, Rita finally made her point clear. "The strangers themselves! I see a day where the men and women of this empire fight for each other, not some banner on a hill! Not a council across the galaxy! But for each other! For freedom, for justice, for their homes and families! They are what's worth fighting for!"

There was now a general uproar in the chambers as the Emperor tried to bring them to order.

But where the old man failed, a single sound succeeded: the air-raid sirens were going off.

Immediately, the argument was forgotten as the royal men and women fled the chambers, each running for cover as the sounds of crashing and explosions were heard outside. Dust rained from the ceiling as the sirens screamed on, alerting anyone for miles of what was happening.

"Zordon!" Rita fought her way through the crowd, ripping her royal robes away with one hand as she caught up to her friend. Underneath, black leather armor was revealed, pocked in rips and tears from battles fought long ago.

"Rita! Come on!" He spotted her as he ripped away his own robe, their uniforms now plainly visible among the white and gray of the crowd around them. With adrenaline pumping, the two ran for the main doors, already reaching for their belts as they did.

Outside, the smell of burning fuel and the sound of screaming citizens assaulted their senses. People ran to and fro like rabbits on a highway, none sure of where they going but all positive they needed to be there right now.

High above them, cog-shaped bombers came in for another run, while the glow of transporters emerged on the street. Ground troops were being beamed in; this was an invasion.

"Machine Empire scouts! Ready?" Zordon snapped, pulling something out of his belt.

"This discussion isn't over!" Rita snapped.

Zordon only laughed, his eyes sparkling again as he looked down at her. "Beautiful, I doubt it ever will be! Are you ready?"

Rita huffed and nodded, the green orb now in her hand. "Always."

"It's morphin' time!" Zordon shouted, raising his Power Coin high into the air.

"Tyrannosaurus!"

"Dragon Zord!"

* * *

Thousands of years later, Rita still stood before councils full of arrogant men and women.

America, Russia, China, The UK, Australia, France, Japan and Germany had all sent representatives to the gathering of nations in the United Nations headquarters. New York city rarely boasted such an important collection of men and women, but the times demanded it.

The men and women, all wearing expensive suits and nervously twitching as they waited, sat around a gigantic table with a considerable space in the center. Glasses of water sat untouched around them, while the security guards prepared for another nerve-wracking encounter.

At exactly noon, the tension in the room finally came to a head: Rita appeared.

A holographic version, of course, but still ominous and threatening. The woman in question wore a long white robe, with the hood pulled over her flowing gray hair. With hollow, sunken eyes glaring out at them, she removed the hood.

"Your progress..." She rasped, her voice low and feral. "...is unacceptable."

The Chinese delegate rose to his feet, clearing his throat and bravely speaking up. "Madam, what you ask of us is... unheard of. It will take time to present your request to our leaders, and..."

"Silence!"

Rita hissed out a warning, glaring across the room at the Chinese man harshly.

"I 'request' nothing. I demand that your governments comply. Eliminate all forms of councils, senates, and parliaments. Afterwards, all your leaders will resign from their positions and new blood elected. All of this will be done before the month is over, or this..." She waved a hand, causing a new image to form in her place. "...will happen to _your_ cities."

The meteor that destroyed San Francisco appeared in the hologram, slamming into the city before changing once more.

Knasticulous appeared, stomping towards Angel Grove, murder in his eyes and sword in hand. It quickly changed to one of Putties slaughtering civilians, and then of Atir capturing children from a bus stop.

The woman from Germany paled and then turned away, hand to her mouth as she saw the children whisked away.

"The people of France..." The French woman rose to her feet, glaring at the image unflinchingly. "...will not bow before tyranny as we have before."

A man from America also stood, smiling cruelly as he nodded to another man in the shadows, who caused a monitor to lower over the holographic images and play another message altogether.

Knasticulous, being cut down by the Megazord. Putties being impaled and reduced to slime by armored Rangers as well as police officers. Atir being ripped apart by the individual Zords, before the now slime covered Tyrannosaurus roared in victory.

"Nor will the good men and women of the US of A."

There were more than a few murmurs in the crowd, causing Rita to reappear with a foul look on her face. "Don't test me, human. Or shall I send another space-rock hurtling towards your home?"

Captain Mitchel, with eyes narrowed, faced her down without so much as a flinch. "We both know that if you had the ability to do that twice, we wouldn't still be here talking."

"So you'll hide behind these Rangers? Will they protect you from my wrath?" Rita snarled, wishing she were in the same room as the man.

"They have so far."

"You mean to say that these warriors fight for the US alone?" The UK's delegate asked angrily, her voice taking on an icy edge.

Rita was the one to answer, a snarl forming as she spoke again. "Those fools serve no one but themselves! They are children, fighting for a specter of a man who is on his deathbed! They will fall soon enough."

"For children fighting for a dead man, they seem to be doing quite well..." China's representative commented, smiling to himself as he watched Jason carve through another putty in slow-motion.

"Enough!" Rita's shout was enough to make them all turn back to her, right as she replaced her hood over her face.

"By the time your moon renews itself, you will bow to my will. Fail, and your cities will burn. Don't believe me?" She asked icily.

"Ask them."

As her form faded, five new figures appeared in the still air. When their forms materialized, there were gasps of horror from every corner of the room.

The first figure was short, hunched over, and resembled some kind of rat. Long, white whiskers protruded from his now pointed snout, while beady eyes looked in two different directions while he fidgeted nervously with his hands.

"What? Don't you recognize your precious astronaut Anton Bunin?" Rita taunted. "I call him 'Finster' now."

Next, a short, ugly man appeared with blue skin and horrible blotches covering his hide. Large, bug eyes seemed ready to pop out of his skull as he looked out at them, with drool dripping from his offset jaws and pooling on his clawed feet.

"Behold; Squat. Not my best work, I admit..."

As the blue creature faded, another took his place. This one was tall, thin, covered in black fur, and had bat-wings sprouting from his spine. Long fangs, longer claws, and oddly enough, a monocle decorated the malformed creature.

"He only responds to 'Baboo'. I suppose this was the point where I cleaned the lens on my genetic-resequencer." Rita joked, her morbid humor earning no laughs from the horrified crowd.

As the black monster faded, the next in line stepped into sight. This was the only woman of the team sent to Mars; her fate was no less horrific. Though still beautiful from the right angle, she now boasted scales covering her from head to toe. Long talons were scary enough, but what got their attention was the scorpion tail coming from the base of her spine, hovering above her head ominously with stinger dripping with venom. Her face was free of the horrific modifications, but her eyes were empty and hollow.

"Ah, Scorpina. My favorite creation yet."

She disappeared, and the final victim came into focus.

"Jake Matthews; his transformation was quite taxing. He struggled, he fought, he begged and pleaded; he even escaped for a moment. Too bad the atmosphere here isn't what it used to be; he was so close to freedom..."

The monster that appeared before them made even Captain Mitchell close his eyes in remorse.

Black fur and black skin replaced the formerly tanned man's complexion. Yellow eyes glared out at them, while gold plated armor was literally welded to his flesh; burns were apparent even on the hologram where gold met skin. Claws dotted his fingers, though he now only had eight of them, but they too were coated in gold. A sword sat in his hands, the blade razor sharp and dripping blood.

"Aw, gold. I had to scrape it off the throne room of my little palace by hand, but it was worth it in the end. My new champion, armored in the luxury and arrogance of my former associates. Appropriate, don't you think?" Rita asked, standing next to Goldar with an arm draped over his shoulders.

"Comply with my demands, or my little creations will be sent down to Earth, one by one, until your world is as desolate as mine."

With that warning, the hologram faded and the delegates murmured in horror.

As soon as he caught his breath and regained his composure, Captain Mitchell sought out the Japanese delegate. Apprehension was apparent on both their faces as they lowered their voices.

"Mr. Ishinomori. It's an honor." Mitchell bowed his head slightly to the older Japanese man, who returned the gesture politely.

"Captain Mitchel. Shall we 'cut to the chase', as your people say?" The man's accent was thick, but understandable with careful listening. Mitchell smiled and nodded, asking the million dollar question.

"Tell me, are the rumors about your Sentai program true?"

"Depends on which rumors you have heard." Ishinomori shot back cryptically.

Mitchell sighed and lowered his voice further, hoping no one else overheard them. "Do you have your own Ranger team?"

Ishinomori sighed tiredly, avoiding Mitchell's gaze as he poured himself a glass of water. Sipping it slowly, he spoke clearly and soberly.

"We have our heroes. You have yours. Whether or not we are able to defeat this new foe remains to be seen."

Mitchell inhaled slowly, biting his lip. "Our own Lightspeed program is years away from anything battle ready. For now, these mystery-kids are all we've got."

"You know for sure they are children?" Ishinomori asked curiously.

Mitchell nodded slowly. "Traffic camera caught them before they suited up. A well meaning officer deleted the footage before their identities were leaked to the public, but we know that they're teenagers. Three boys, two girls, none over eighteen."

"A heavy burden for those so young. But war has a way of aging us, does it not?" Ishinomori said with a twinkle in his eye.

Mitchell just shook his head and poured himself a glass as well. "That it does."

* * *

 **One last note; though I have mentioned Sentai and Lightspeed Rescue by name, it will be quite some time before either sets of characters have any 'screen time' in this story. I have no intention of drafting them into this war just yet, but what would a world summit look like without including those important characters? Rest assured, all stories will be told to the best of my ability, but I don't want to tease anyone. While Lightspeed Rescue has its place in this war, it won't be 'battle ready' for some time yet.**

 **-Jardix**


End file.
